Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1886-11-11
Gurcka Dailp 9entinel.
THURSDAY. NOVEMBER II. 1886.
RIGHT OF OFFICEmOLpEKs.

HUNT Of
The Enterprise has lately had a good
deal to say about the interference OF
Federal officers in the politics of this
State In this country the Constitution
forbids any abridgement of the freedom
OF speech. The President has not the
right and has never attempted to do so.
But he has the u~ndoubted right to insist
that public servants shall not neglect the
public business to take part in politics.
In other words, politics must be subor.
dinate to official duty. 1t will be time
enough to arraign the Federal officers OF
Nevada when it shall appear that they
have neglected to perform any of the OF.
fetal duties devolving upon them. It is
within the personal knowledge OF the
writer that the strictest application OF
this rule would not involve any Govern
ment officer participating actively in the
recent campaign in Nevada. In our own
case we had a months leisure from Of.
fetal work and were at perfect liberty to
devote the time to politics or anything
else. If we succeeded in impressing the
Enterprise that we were Extensively
PARTISAN" we are satisfied with the
manner in which we employed our
otherwise unemployed time. There
could be no better test that we
were discharging a high public duty to
society, for the Enterprise was advocat'
ing everything that was bad in morals
and politics. Discussing Civil Service,
and the privileges Of Federal officers,
the New York Graphic, just prior to the
late election, published an article which
states the rule quite forcibly and cor
rectly. 1t having been given out that
the President intended to be reasonably
liberal in the enforcement of the new
Civil Service rules, that journal says
"This means that an o~fficeholder has
right to his opinion. 1t means that he
does not surrender his birthright for {
twenty.two.cent Government office OF
any larger portion in the Federal service,
"The President is reported to have
said that he meant to declare that no Of
fetal must neglect his business in order
to attend to politics. That is proper
enough. If any official does neglect his
business for politics or for anything else,
he should be dismissed. But he car
properly talk. He can attend caucusses.
He can assist at nominations. He car
also argue with his political opponents
and consult with his friends. He car
make speeches. He can contribute tC
the fund for necessary expenses. Tc
deny him of any of these privileges
would be to deny him his most sacred
right as a citizen.
"The President has no more business
to control the movements of the office
holder in this regard than he has to direct
him as to the church he shall attend Oh
any church at all.
perhaps some will say that this in
depreciation of the Presidents order
gives the oficeholder all his old priv
ileges. Not at all. The order simply
forbids his being IN offensive partisan.
He need not be recognized as a political
boss merely because he holds office. He
need not assume to control unless that
would be his privilege if he held no Of
fee whatever. He need not be recog'
nized as a leader for the sole reason
that he is an oficeholder. But the mar
who gives up his right to be an active,
earnest p~artian in order to have or re-
tain office is SO poor a citizen that hi
deserves 40 recognition by the Presi
dent or anybody else.
"We don't raise that kind of mer
here. When such men make up the
population to a considerable extent we
had better give up our system which
gives office to a privileged class anG
permits the mass merely the right o.
silence and voting such ballots as are
put into their hands"