Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 2, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 September 1858 — A CORRUPTION FUND AVOWED AND JUSTIFIED. [ARTICLE]

A CORRUPTION FUND AVOWED AND JUSTIFIED.

We must confess that we were surprised at the bold and daring audacity of the Washington Union (the organ of the Administration) of the Idtli of August last, in the following article, in which a tax upon officeholders for the pin-nose of raising a corruption fund, or as it calls it, a fund‘-to advance the interest of the IDemin-ratie party in its struggle with the 'opposition-,” is unblushingly justified. We were prepared for great depths of infamy iu al party that lor two years ddfended, justified ajid enforced by the army of the United Stakes the Border-Ruffian laws upon the people of Kansas—that approved of ther great frauds upon the, ballotbox in Kansas, apd removed (!overnors Walker and Stanton for exposing and attempting to thwart Ithese frauds—that has appointed and kept in office murderers, gamblers and villains—(that has attempted to force upon a free people an infamous Proslavery Constitution, which they lothed and abhorred, after ljad indignantly rejected it by over 10,000 majority-:—a party that has made, approves and Isustaitis the infamous Dred Scott decision, slavery in all the Territories of the United States, and denies the right 'and the, power of the people or of Congress to remove this blighting curse while in a Territorial state. We say, we were prepared for great depths of infamy ill the loaders of this Democratic party; but we had nipt supposed that they had become so hardened and utterly debased as to openly justify the raising of a corruption fund, by a tax upon the office-holders ‘ appointed by the present Administration, but such is tlig fact, tte.the follow mg article proves: THE TAX O.X OFEtCIAI.s: Wo sec it reported, wi- do not cure upon what authority, that a tax is He vied upoii the persons employed in the Govcjnment service, and ttni payment thereof exact;!]. Wefarc quite ignorant of ’.lie authority union wliicli this payment is demanded, or tile purposes to which- it is applied when. received. Wet; trust, however, that whatever may lie thus collected may he. wisely and economically applied to Menace the interests of the democratic parly in its skrnc/yle with the opposition. ft is said that from one-quarter to one-half of one percent, oil the sulijiries of officials is thus exacted. Now, without 1 knowing anything of the alleged tax, and with, no belief ill its existence, as a general thing kve have just this to say on the subject: If there S--' a person in the public service who does not veilntarily contribute the amount, at least , two dollars and a half a year , on each thousand dollars of ibis salary, to support the cause of the democracy, he should he dismissed at oner, and his place fitted lit/ one lehn is patriotic and liberal enough to i>oujil.K me cantrihutian. H r be-lieve-the cause to justify %ts support.; and. those who' re] use to aiil iu that patriotic work should he the. last to compl-ain , ij they a.i e deprived of the special fdtiors of those, in power. . We. would recommend no system of espionage, ino mean etlorls tt> hunt out the miserable scaveniers who devote i-'ouk on five nanus ok indojiEMe at I heir desks, and the balance of their time to utpaults upon the Domoe-

j racy; but that forbearance which keeps.them in office a moment after their treachery, is known, is sadly misplaced. It is a notorious fact,, that more than half (he patronage of this Government is bestowed upon such unworthy and untrustworthy men. It has been ascertained that not only onefourth and one-halt per cent, is levied upon Old-I fine office-holders, but that as high as two per cent, per month has been leviers upon the salaries o! the appointees of the present Administration (or the purpose of creating an ample corruption fund to appropriate upon elections of the present year. . This assessment upon salarie* of office-holders and clerks, <&c., of the Administration will create, a fund of over one million of dollars. Flips is doubt h'ss the fund that has recently started Old-Line mushroom papers in every county seat in the Ninth Congressional District lor the. purpose of operating upon our elections: and this is the fund that is-to import “horJsj'of illegal voters” into thisdistrict for the purpose of beating Colfax and electing certain men to the Legislature; ; and these illegally imported voters have already commenced coining in. Citizens of Jasper j and Pulaski: are you prepared for these tilings? Are you prepared to see the ballotbox, the Paladium of our liberties, corrupted and stricken down by these hireling mercenaries? Are you prepared to have men elected over you to offices who are abhorrent ; to a large majority,? If not , prepare for action—vigorous, determined action can alone ; defeat these machinations. Defend and protect the. ballot-box llouq pollution as you would your homes and your, lives. Organ ize everywhere, and determine that no-man shall vote who is hot a known resident citizen among you.