Bleeding The Poor Clerks

One of the clerks in the Treasury at "Washington writes of the system of foroed oontribution now going on there, as follows: ïhere was never snch a comprehensive gystem of political blackmailing as is at present being levied npon department clerks. In the Treasury department, John Sherman headed the paper with $100. The chiefs of bureaus contributed $00. The clerks wül averago from $10 to $20. In the Treasury proper there are about three thousand persons emploj'ed. Blackford, the one-armed man, who formerly occupied the position of captain of pólice at the Capítol, is the one who has charge of the official blackmailing. Ever since thero was such an outcry against the removalof Blackford at tho Capítol on account of his being a TTnion soldier he has beeu employed to do the dirty work of the Republican Cougressionalcominittee. Thiscommittee is not in a very harmonious condition, owing to the feeling of its meuibers against theirstupld, blundering chairnian; but John Sherruan directs thetn, and that fact has temporarily allayed the discontent. Every dollar collected from the departments is railroaded into Ohio. And thiB under an administration ■whose shibboleth is civil service reform, and under a President who issued a circular a year or two ago, positively prohibiting the levying of post assessments on federal office holders ! Bom of fraud, Bteeped in fraud, what but fraud could the country expect of such an administration !