Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-21
MAHONE'S ASSESSMENTS.
DEZENDORF SEEKS THE CIVIL
SERVICE COMMISSION.

Five Per Cent. Demanded Last Week on
All Government Salaries Paid in Vir-
einia Three Similar Assessments
Within a Year PrOfuse Promises
Made by Commissioners.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 20.-The Civil Ser
vice Commissioners to-day received a
letter from eX-Representative DezendOrf.
stating that c. G. Clark, Senator Mahone's
political assessment agent, had made an
assessment last week Of per cent. on the
salaries received by all the employees of
the Norfolk navy yard, and that this was
the third assessment levied upon the same
employees by the same man inside of a
year. DR.. Gregory, the Civil Service
commissioner, stated to-day when asked
about the letter that as it had Iust been
received no investigation had yet been
made of the charges or statements con
tanned in it. 'sThe views expressed bv
Judge Thoman in regard to political as
sessments," sald DR.. Gregory, care in
accord with those of the other Commits
sloners. | don't mean to say anything
that looks like menace. 1t can be
said simply that it is the serious
and earnest intention of the Commits
sl0ners to call the attention of the proper
authorities to every violation of the law
of which we get good and suhicient evil
dence, when the charge is made that the
law has been violated i'm any department,
and If we are satisfied of its truth, we will
notify the Secretary that such a charge is
made, and we believe it to be true If he
neglects to take the proper steps we will
report it to the President. AS far as
prosecution under the law is concerned
any man can make complaint to the grand
jury. don't see why Mr.. DeZendOrf did
not make his complaint to the grand Jury
Every case of a violation of the law re-
ported to the Commission has been in
vestigated. OF course the Commissioners
cannot act upon hearsay testimony or the
statements OF newspapers"
Chief Examiner Lyman, when spoken
to concerning Mr.. DezendOrfs letter. said
that he had no knowledge of the matter
officially, though he had heard of it, He
had been informed that Mr.. Clark was
not government employee and therefore
it did not come under the law. Senator
Malone was Chairman Of the Virginia
Campaign Committee, and it was an in
teresting question how tar the acts of
Clark, as Treasurer, involved the
other members of the committee.
Mr.. Lyman said that Mr.. Dezen-
dorf would probably be asked to
stateS whether or not Mr.. Clark was a
government employe, and if not whether
his solicitations of contributions had
been made in any room in any public
building or other place where it would
come within the purview of the law. He
quoted sections IL and IA of the civil ser
vice act, which prohibit the solicitation,
receiving or paying of contributions, di-
rectly or indirectly, by any officer or en-
plOye ofShe government from or to any
other officer or emplOye, and the sOlici-
tatlOn of such contributions by any per-
son not an emplOye Of the government,
in any room, or any public building,
or Otherplace where the government SER
vice is performed, and said that whenever
the Commission received evidence of
violation of the letter of these sections of
the law they would promptly lay the mat
ter before the executive authority. The
Commission, he said, were not a prosecut-
ing board, but they could, as a board APP
pointed to administer the law, call the at
tention of the executive to any violation
of the law of which they became cog
infant