152 



CONGRESS, UNITED STATES. 



of it, and I ask the Senate to consider it a lit- 

 tle in detail. 



The committee is organized for the protection of the 

 interests of the Kepublican party in each of the con- 

 gressional districts of the Union. 



"Party from beginning to end, the country 

 nowhere alluded to ' the interests of the Re- 

 publican party in each of the congressional 

 districts.' 



In order that it may prepare, print, and circulate 

 suitable documents illustrating the issues which dis- 

 tinguish the Kepublican party from any other, and 

 may meet all proper expenses incident to the cam- 

 paign, the committee feels authorized 



"'Feels authorized!' What necessity is 

 there to have authority to invite gentlemen 

 who desire to make a voluntary contribution 

 to a political fund ? What is the necessity 

 for any authority for an invitation of that 

 kind? 



"'Authorized!' By whom authorized; 

 for what purpose authorized? To apply for 

 contributions to the Republican expense fund ! 

 Apply to whom ? Apply to ' all those whose 

 interests are involved in this struggle.' 



" The committee discriminates very closely 

 between those whose principles lead them to 

 desire the success of the Republican party and 

 those whose interests are involved in the strug- 

 gle ; those whose principles or interests induce 

 them to take an interest in this struggle. Who 

 are they, Mr. President ? Who are interested 

 beyond what their principles require in the 

 success of the Republican party in the coining 

 campaign? Certainly the officers; the office- 

 holders; those who enjoy the powers and 

 emoluments of office ; those who are in posses- 

 sion of the political power and the moneyed 

 emolument at the disposal of the party. When 

 application is to be made for authority to apply 

 to these officers for a money contribution, who 

 is it that can give the authority to make the 

 application? Manifestly those who have the 

 power of appointment and dismissal; mani- 

 festly those who can say to these men whose 

 offices are involved, ' Contribute to the success 

 of this party, or the power of appointment and 

 dismissal is hung over your head.' I submit to 

 gentlemen on this committee that the para- 

 phrase was entirely unnecessary. I submit 

 that the circumlocution was entirely out of 

 place, and that it would have been much more 

 direct and much more pointed and equally deli- 

 cate to have said, ' We are authorized by those 

 who have the power of appointment and dis- 

 missal to say to you whose offices are involved 

 in this struggle that we are authorized to make 

 this application for money to you.' 



" The circular starts out with a declaration 

 on its face, which any man who can read at all 

 can read between the lines : We are authorized 

 by those who hold your places in their hands 

 to apply to you office-holders of the Govern- 

 ment to make this contribution because your 

 interests are involved in this struggle. 

 " The circular continues : 



Under the circumstances in which the country finds 

 itself placed, the committee believes that you will es- 

 teem it both a privilege and a pleasure to make to its 

 fund a contribution. 



" ' A privilege and a pleasure ! ' Indeed, a 

 blessed privilege ! an exquisite pleasure ! These 

 officers, forsooth, would never have had the 

 opportunity of enjoying this privilege and 

 pleasure if this committee had not given them 

 the opportunity and the method ; the opportu- 

 nity in the sinking circumstances of the for- 

 tunes of the Republican party, and the method 

 by contributions to the committee ! Knowing 

 that these office-holders could not have enjoyed 

 this privilege and pleasure except for its invita- 

 tion ; knowing that as soon as they heard of 

 it, they would be ready and willing, nay, eager 

 and anxious, to embrace the opportunity ; fear- 

 ing lest in a moment of enthusiasm and desire, 

 these office-holders might indulge to excess in 

 the enjoyment of the pleasure and privilege ; 

 fearing lest on the other hand an ascetic self- 

 denial might restrain them below the bounds 

 of legal moderation, this committee informs 

 them that, in its judgment, it would be about 

 right that clerks having $900 a year should in- 

 dulge in this enjoyment to the amount of $20 

 worth. Then fearing that might be a damper 

 upon their ardor, the committee express the 

 hope that the contribution shall not be less 

 than the amount suggested by the committee, 

 to wit, $20. 



The committee is authorized to state that such vol- 

 untary contribution 



" ' Voluntary contribution ! ' Voluntary as 

 the contribution the traveler makes to the 

 pocket of the highwayman when commanded 

 to stop and hold up his hands; voluntary as 

 the contribution which the man of the world 

 makes to the harvest of the Great Reaper when 

 he puts in his scythe 



voluntary contribution from persons employed in the 

 service of the United States will not be objected to in 

 any official quarter. 



"Mr. President, is a voluntary contribution 

 objected to anywhere? And does it need any 

 close discrimination as to that passage to see 

 that it means that, while contributions will not 

 be objected to in any official quarter, a refusal 

 to make the contribution will meet with the 

 condemnation of all official quarters? 



The labors of the committee will affect the result of 

 the presidential election in 1884, as well as the con- 

 gressional struggle ; and it may therefore reasonably 

 hope to have the sympathy and assistance of all who 

 look with dread upon the possibility of the restoration 

 of the Democratic party to the control of the Govern- 

 ment. 



" 'With dread.' Who look with dread upon 

 it ? What sensible man in this country looks 

 with dread upon it? The people of the coun- 

 try do not look with dread, the material inter- 

 ests of the country do not look with dread, the 

 patriotism of the country does not look with 

 dread, for at the last two presidential elections 

 the people of this country have been almost 

 equally divided in numbers upon the question 





