National Republican., 1883-10-05
MIR. DEzENDoRT ANSWERED.
The Civil Service Commission Reply i'm
Detnil TO His Recent Letter.

the Civil Service Commission Reply In
Detail to His Recent Letter.
Tho civil service commissioners have adj
dressed the following letter to Mr.. Desendorf
in response to his last communication to them
WAsHINGToN, ID. c., Oct. 4, 1SS3.-Sir:
Yours of Sept. % was duly referred to the
commission, and L am instructed to reply as
follows: The prohibitions of the civil service
act in the matter of political assessments arc
substantially the four following:
j. That no official or employe of the United
States shall solicit or receive contributions
for any political purposes from any other Of
fetal or employc. See section IL.
2. That no person shall solicit or receive
contributions for any political purpose in any
premises occupied by the government. See
section IL.
3. No official or employe shall discharge,
promote, or degrade, or so threaten or promise
any other official or employe for giving, with
holding, or neglecting to mako contributions
for any political purpose. See section 49,
A. No official or employe shall give or hand
over to any other official or employe any con-
tribution for political purposes. See section IA.
These four sections substantially include
all that is stated under section 2 in regard to
political assessments or influence. By more
careful reading of section II you will sec
that my letter of Sept. 20 was right in call
ing your attention to the fact that "it does
not appear in your statement that Mr.. G. G.
Clark is n government official or that he made
solicitations in any government room or
building" &C. If he were O government
official he would have no right to solicit or
receive contributions from any other govern
ment official or employe in any place
whatever. AS q person or citizen
not in any government employment he
is only forbidden to make his political
solicitations in any government buildings or
nY,,i. lap tt,a,. sI,
escape ON the flimsy pretext that he did not
make the demands or solicitations in any
room or building occupied in the discharge
of official duties by any officer or empoye of
the United States, mentioned in this act or in
any navy yard, fort, or arsenal as you seem
to imply" is totally inconsistent with tho
! plain intent of section twelve, as the clear
purpose of that section is to forbid political
assessments being made by any person
or citizen in government buildings
| and premises Your remark ito say
that they shall not violate the law in
custom house or navy yard, but
that they may 20 on the sidewalk outside OF
custom house and navy yard and violate it
is to mako the law farce" is not pertinent.
You will see by what is said above that If Mr..
! Clark is not government official or employe
he could not violate the law by soliciting con-
tributions on the sidewalk outside of the Gus.
tom house or navy yard. The only violation
| possible TO MIN was TO nave solicited WITHIN
a custom house, navy yard, or other govern.
ment premises.
Having thus corrected your evident mis-
apprehension, the commission would again
repeat that pany proofs Oyou may have
of a violation of the civil service law, if filed
with the secretary, shall have the early atten
tion Of the commission" Mere general state
ments of hearsay character, such as yor
furnish in your letter of Sept %, do no
afford the commission tho data on which t
proceed in any proper investigation. You
say, II have been reliably informed that
said c. c. Clark, treasurer of the democratic
readjustor committee, of (Which Senator
Malone is chairman, has made similar
demands of per cent. upon the an
nual salary of the employees in the custom
house and other federal offices in Richmond
Va. The charge is too general since it in
culpates no one in particular, except Mr.
Clark, and does not even show that any vio
lation of the law has taken place. The com
mission does not understand that "the Who'll
machinery Of the department of justice is q
(its) command" any further than it is at tn
command of all good citizens but the com
mission will certainly use all the authorit
given it by law and the rules to make inves
legations concerning the facts, and to secur
their enforcement.