Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1877-07-21
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. sERFs

Under the above heading the San Fran
cisco Post of the 18th inst says:
A new civic disability unknown to the CON
stitution and laws of the United States, is
being created and enforced by the present
administration The President of this Union
is reported to have declared that certain citi-
zens thereof shall not be permitted under
penalty of loss OF employment, to have politi-
cal opinions, or, at least 10 endeavor to make
such opinions felt if they have the termerity
to entertain them. The pretense under which,
according to the telegraphic report, such al
insult is offered, is simply that the citizens
who are to be debarred from the right of
political opinion and action are III the employ
of the general government at the national
capitol or elsewhere, We ask, in all serious
ness, if the American people, Of any shade Of
or politics or party, are prepared to endorse
the invasion of personal rights proposed in
the followng2 After stating that the Secre-
tary of the Kansas Republican Association
asked if holding such an Office was against the
administration policy, the Presidents reply
is reported to be The President said if
the associations were of q social character
thore was no objection TO their continuance,
but politics must be eschewcd. The Presi-
dent virtually stated that no political services
can be rendered by a government employee
at any time while he holds such position.
even though it does not interfere with his
duties, as it is his (the President's) intention
to forever divorce political and civil service,
so far as in him lies. 10" What power has the
President to say that no man in the service
of the general government shall have the
right to express his political views, or to work
and to organise for their support, and TO
threaten that If it is done the offender shall
lose his position What difference is there
between this course and that of demanding
the support by votes of every man in the
employ of the government Andrew johnson,
in the enforcement of my Policy" en-
deavored to induce or compel every man he
could reach to sustain his course
He failed and so will Mr. Hayes
if he persists in efforts to enforce a personal |
policy by means of such coercion The |
motives are very different, We grant, but the |
acts and results are not far apart A man in |
the employ of this government is not the bond |
servant of the President The country, even |
has no mortgage upon his views or acts, pro-
gided they are loyal to the republic and do |
not peril the institutions, damage the admin !
stration thereof, or the trust reposed in him |
Least of all has it a presumption right to his |
private time or the personal or civic acts per-
formed therein. A private employer who in
n these days openly tries to dictate the polit-
cal course of those he employs is Justly de-
'ided as bad citizen and tyrannical person
What difference is there in effect between
uch acts and those the President proposes
We fail to see any, except that the folly of the
Presidents position is little the greater. He
S the servant of the people, and, Of course,
# the very citizens, among others, whose
lights he undertakes to curtail. More than
hat, he largely owes his present position to
heir exertions Some of them may find it
n their hearts to acknowledge that their
ctidhs in his behalf were indeed an abuse of
heir opportunities, for which, perhaps, they
eserve to be punished. We do not, however,
DIN therein. But, banter and sarcasm aside,
that is to be said of such a course, if the
President is reported correctlyl Under what
retense of,law can he lay claim to any such
light as he proposes to enforce-that of dis
Missing person employed by the general gov
rnment because said person exercises his
rivate right, in his own time and at his own 9
Expense, of belonging to a political associa- I
on? Is it true that at last Republicans have
o rights that civil service reformer "a is
ound to respect 1t appears like it. We
'ust that when Congress meets there will be
least candid expression of opinion on the
right even to dictate to any one, I.
duty, abstention from political action.