The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-16

COMMITTEE. Mir. B0Ohar dld not call Tor
he was informed by employees about the
House that it was committee expect
ing to receive as donations from the diff
fereut boys part Of the extra months sal
airy that was voted at the last session of
Congress. % So He says
7 consulted with some Of the Members
from my State and l told them that If the
object Of the Committe, was TO raise some
sort of :. campaign fund. that in M cstl-
nation I could make dollar of my CON
triuution go farther in Minnesota than
that committee could make $50 90 out
there"
There seems no good reason to doubt
that Mr.. Eoobar was correct in his ,sti-
nation Of the efficiency of these res9ec-
tive contributions Yet such assessments
We're paid often enough and sometimes
without any knowledge on the part of the
contributors as to what they were for. \
curious Illustration Of the trusJfulncSs OF
these campaign contributors Il shown by
the testimony of George. W. Sabine. IS
sistaut librarian. Mr. Browning, the chief
clerk once asked him whether he could
not put UP s. d month and he answered
Yes He never knew the purpose of
this contribution but thought it was d
campaign fund He did the same thing in
the following session
MI Envert. the House ''tele gTaphcT,
WAS one Of the contributors He testifies
that in the Fifty-fouTth Congress ne gave
up s. month of his salary for eleven
months TO Mr.. Robinson, the discussing
clerk
@. What fora I do not know.
% How did you happen To give tE-A
Wen. / do not remember exactly VINO II
was came to me but ] an most positive
if was Mr. Robinson himself and said we
need little money for a little while Ne
Will have to assess some OF the boys -
and $40 You are siXteeu-hundred-d dollar
mani and we viii have to assess you y 4
month" tp- 43-)
In regard to the division Of salaries
among employees the House committee
reports:
on the organization of the HOUSE in the
F'ifty-fourth Congress II appears that
more places or places of higher salaries
we're promised than the officers of the
House were able to discover under the
law 1t does not appear by whom these
promises were made There began at once
Il system whereby the employees agreed
Ia contribute greater or less portions OF
the salaries they received for the purpose
either of paying persons not on the roll or
of increasing The compensation Of persons
who were on the rGU- OF the latter class
the Increases were not proportional to the
character of the services rendered OF the
merit Of the employees. but TO the sup
posed rights Of the State or Congressional
district from which the recipients came.
%. Vi
The political assessor believes appaT-
emily that the words voluntary contrbu-
tons have a peculiar charm 10 stay the
course Of adverse criticism; that with
their aid he can effectually cover the
most evident cases Of biackmaiI and ex-
tUrtian-
Nj Henry Robinson, the bank presi-
dent and disbursing clerk testifies on
this subject:
q Il Is said Won personally collected
3 2 month from various officials-A- No
+ sir. I never did
% Now. We have had Mr. Robinson.
here today, people who said you did--A. I
7 think they are certainly mistaken II il
was $ a month for = voluntary contribu-
ton, or something of that kind
-. Call it vOluntary.-A- That may be I
think there was voluntary contribution
made back in the Fifty-fourth Congress
10 take care OF some people" Cp- So
And he describes the circumstances
: Fifty OF sixty dollars a month was paid
! to take care" Of a page. etc, etc.
/ Alexander B. Thomas %. ~. Arthur
I Lucas, John ". Lucas. and J. A Savoy.
! BARRIERS in the Republican cloakroOm.
; were each assessed opp 40 and AZ 80
month for some eighteen months. which
was paid to one Coates, a barber in the
] Democratic cloakroom. When Savoy was
! asked how he happened 10 pay It. he said:
/ At the close of Congress it seems as
/ though this man Coates had no place and
! they came and told as that we would
; have to carry him"
/ Mr. Lyon. the man who demanded these
I contributions. thus explains. them %. so
I AS soon as he Coates was removed. a
/ gentleman on that side Democratic came
( and kicked about him And again. "A
/ gentleman on the Democratic side sug-
/ gested taking care Of him In that way"
/ Cp- 81
/ II would seem to the uusophisricated
/ that if the ejected Coates had 20 be car
/ RED OF paid by assessments upon other
/ people. the assessment ought properly 70
/ be levied either upon those who were
I guilty Of turning him out OF upon those
I who were interested in keeping him in
/ or. # this were a political assessment for
/ Democratic purposes it would seem that
it ought properly to be levied upon Dem
ocrats- But by the higher system OF eth
( les prevailing in this branch of the serv-
ice it is the Republican BARRIERS CTho
/ themselves receive only $50 4 month"; who
have TO do the carrying
But the most fragrant case Of extortion
/ was that in which the victims were Rob
! ert Richardson and William Richardson.
/ TWO cOlored men employed in the House
! bathrooms as Iaborers at $40 per aunum
/ They had been so employed for about
| twenty years, but in August, 1895 one "
[ w Wood. 4 white man. was placed upon
the ron and continued there for four
months. taking the place Of Robert. in
! August and October, and Of William in
September and November
we have not learned. says the Moody
/ Committee. that Wood did anything be-
sides drawing his pay. He never even
! appeared in the bathrooms. The Rich
! ardsous performed all the work, but each
lost two month pay The transaction
| was without their consent. In April. 1900
/ W H Ridley. "a COlOTed man residing in
| Media Pa, came to the bathrooms with
| another COlOred man apparently with the
| purpose OF taking the place Of OF
suit was that the Richardson's agreed
! each to pay 80 per month 10 Ridley. and
did 50 by registered letters for eight
/ months Robert Richardson testified that
this was done with the Clerks orders
bat this the Clerk denied, asserting his
| ignorance Of the transaction The Rich
! ardSOHs continued TO do the work Rid
ley did nothing opp N-NI)
/ Robert Richardson testified that on
/ oriI Il, 1890, a man came TO take his
He said he was sent down 10 take the
! place and ! showed him the place. and
{ after ! showed it to him ! told him NJ
( would 20 10 see his friends and | would
/ bcrs whom ] had served there and asked
/ them to assist me to stay, which they did
and which l am thankful for. q. 25.)
o Who did ne say sent him there e
| take your plaCeZ-A. lie said the Clerk al
/ the House had given the place to Mr. But
| Ter. OF Pennsylvania.
! y. DID he come again2-A- He aine