Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-09-09
Assessing of State employees.

y few weeks ago DIR. Corbus told of
the voluntary contributions" for po-
litical purposes of the employees of
the Kankakee hospital. Last week
DR.. Whitman told of the voluntary
contributions" made to him by the
employees of the Elgin institution. DR.
Corbus said he sent his collections 10
an unnamed member of the state cen
trail committee. Dr. Whitman was
more specific. He said he sent his to
y. l.. French. who is not Il member of
the committee. but is n railroad and
warehouse commissioner. If Mr..
French will say how much money ne
received from DIR. Whitman and the
superintendent of other state insti-
tutious. when he received it, and what
he did with it. he will confer favor
upon the public, says the Chicago
Tribune. Or. rather. he will dis
charge a duty to the public, for the
fact ought not tea be forgotten that
the money DIR. Whitman sent Mr..
French is public money and the peo-
pie should know what has become
of it,
What is the political use to which
that money. alleged to be contributed
for political purposes. has been put?
There have been no elections in this
state of any Importance for nearly
two years, or since Mr.. Mckinley was
elected to the presidency. What has
been the occasion for the eXtortion
of large sums of money from the
employees of the state? For what
purposes have the assessments. eu-
enthusiastically called voluntary con-
tributions," been expended? How has
the money been spent for the benefit
of the party, if thus spent? The
state central committee has not been
active. Its duties have been dis
charged by commission, without au-
thOrity from the whole committee or
the executive committee, so far as
appears. The functions of the chair
man and secretary have been usurp-
ed. Money has been collected and
used in n manner not known to any
responsible person inside or outside
the party.
The Inference is irresistible that il
has been used at the primaries = to
elect certain men delegates to the
state convention and to prevent the
CICCtiOn VI CtEtdil OtHeE men DIS uel-
egates. 1t has been used to bring
about particular Legislative nomina-
tions and to prevent other nomina-
tions. In brief. it has been used for
fractional purposes, not for party pur-
poses.
To what extent can the levying of
contributions upon men who are en-
ployes of the state, and who repre-
sent all the people of the state and
not merely the republican party or n
faction of that party, be justified,
even if the money be expended in Il
manner looked on in party councils
as legitimate? 1t is well known that
considerable sums are raised during
n presidential campaign and are prop
erly expended. They are used to hire
halls, pay for expenses of speakers,
music, printing. etc. But how can
money be properly levied on employees
of the state before nominations have
been made and expended at primaries,
in caucuses, and conventions, and N
influencing the nomination of candi-
dates for state offices or for the leg
islature?
These are questions some of which
the organization managers will have
difficulty in answering. In proper
ton to their difficulty will be the
censure that is likely to be visited
upon them by the people at the APP
preaching election.