Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-10-18

From ollr regular correspondenr.

hypocrisy of Mr.. Cleveland's order,
that prominent members of the adj
ministration should not take the
stump, is under existing circumstan-
ces extremely farcical to people in
Washington, who know the part that
the administration Is taking IN this
campaign. 1t is about as consistent
as it would be for the devil to take
the road as an evangelist, and comes
with poor grace just after Secretary
Hoke Smith has returned from boss
ing the state campaign in Georgia,
which he came so near losing as to
give the democrats a scare that they
have not yet recovered from. And
it certainly does not agree with the
action of the pension Office officials,
who are using all the machinery Of
that Office to make votes for demo-
cratic candidates for congress; nor
with the recent exposure or the eff
forts Of the negro officials composing
the negro democratic league to com
pei all negroes holding federai offices
to be assessed for the benefit of the
democratic campaign fund.
Speaking Of campaign assessments,
few remarks Of Civil Service Com
missioner Roosevelt, who is never
afraid to tell the truth, are in strik-
ing contrast with the position that
Mr.. Cleveland would like to have the
country believe his administration
occupies. He said: We are having
trouble with the treasury depart
ment, but just now we are having
most trouble over this matter Of po-
litical assessments. i don't recall
any presidential election year in
which we have had SO much. The
recent decision of the department of
Justice, that letter sent to govern
ment employe requesting him to con-
tribute money for campaign ptir-
poses did not come within the law
prohibiting the asking of funds for
political reasons from the clerks, has
initiated against the civil service
commission in its efforts to stop the
foul business. The law, to my mind,
plainly covers cases where demands
for contributions are made by letter;
but the attorney general thinks diff
ferently. The commission is very
anxious to get a decision by the courts,
and it sometime ago requested the
attorney general to bring Il test case,
in order to get il decision, but he has
not done so. Investigations have
Just been ordered by the commission
into two big offices, outside of Wash
ington, where the employees are be-
ing called upon to subscribe to cam
paign funds. If we can get no other
satisfaction we can ut least warn the
clerks and employees that their Off
cial positions will not be in any way
jeopardized by refusal to accede to
the demands for contributions, and
we shall lay the matter as strongly
as possible before the president and
congress-
Mr.. Cleveland must think the peo-
pie are easy to gull indeed, if he
| thinks he can make them believe that
the administrator is taking no part
in the campaign, in the face Of the
gathering at Batavia, y. T., Of Sec
retaries Gresham, Carlisle, Lamont
and Herbert, and Postmaster Gener-
al Bissel. 1t is all very well to say
that they went to hear Secretary
| Carlisle deliver his address on Rob
ert Mooris, an early secretary Of the
treasury; but everybody knows that
their principal object was 10 give the
New York campaign a boost. 1t is
very clear that Mr.. Cleyeland's order
is merely bit of democratic hypoc-
risy.
| The Washington Statistical Assoc
citation has no connection whatever
with politics and for that very reason
| the address OF Judge Lawrence, con
demning the recent changes IN the
Treasury department, delivered at 4
meeting held by the association this
week has attracted general attention
IT is gratifying 10 your correspondent
| to have what lie said on this subject
| in last weeks letter endorsed by suel
high authority as Judge Lawrence
who said in his address: During
| the five years that was First Comp
troller Of the Treasury Department
| had some opportunity to study anc
observe the operation OF the system
established lily Alexander Hamilton
and IN successful operation ever
since. Under it frauds have beer
substantially impossible. The sys
tenn in its practical operation Ina:
been as nearly a. perfect a Safeguard
against fraud and error ~ human in
genuity could devise. The recent nc
OF Congress based onthe report of tn,
i