Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-07-16
THE PRESIDENT TO oFrICE-HoLDERs.

The Presidents warning to subordinates
in the Government departments, and to all
ofice-holders under Federal employment,
is timely and precisely what he should
have said. 1t amounts to this practically:
"Iou are the employees Of the people of
the United States, not of any political
party. Your time and energy is due to the
Government, not to party. You have no
right to so use your offices to advance the
interests of either or any party, for you
are not employees of any political organize
ton. 1t is therefore improper for you to
use your position to compass your election
to political conventions Because you
hold Office by the consideration of party
friends, the Office does not therefore belong
to them, nor has the fact that you fill it
conferred on You the right to dictate the
political action of the party under which
you have been favored with official posi-
ton. You are not, by reason of filling an
office, DISTINGUISHED, but your political
privileges are not enlarged by the fact of
your being Government employe. Such
sentiments as these are in consonance with
civil service reform, and reflect those enun-
ciated by President Hayes as far as they GO.
They are sensible, simple truths, and it is
simply impossible to gainsay them. Office
holding is honorable; it ought to be
esteemed a testimonial of mans worth,
ability and discretion. II never did and
never can rightly give the custodian of Of
fee the right to dictate to party or to voters.
The time has gone by forever when the
" Federal Brigade can be summoned to
answer the roll-call of the political boss.
The President has said well to the men in
office. But he should say even better to
them on a cognate subject If we were to
outline his unwritten message to supple
ment that officially published on the 18th
inst, it would run somewhat in this wise
You are Federal holder. AS
such you have reposed in you important
Siuoto' AOu hCIG luNcSttu Will authority
and station because you could serve the
whole people well, not because of your
past service for a political party. As a
trustee for your fellow-citizens you have
your rights, and one of these is to be free
from and Independent of political dicta-
ton. No man has right to demand that
you favor him because he is of the party
under the administration of which YOU
serve. No man has right as a party man
to annoy you, for you are an officer of the
people, or to demand from YOU, as the
price OF your Office, any money whatever.
You may contribute of your own free will
to political purposes just as may any citi-
zen, but no levy upon you for share OF
your salary is iustiiabIe, or will be toll
Grated. It win he your duty to report to
me any such cases, through the head of
your department. Political blackmail
shall not be levied upon YOU Political
bosses shall not dictate to you, political
threats Of loss Of position shall not make
you timid." So long as they are faithful,
true and constant the positions of subordi-
mates are assured them, until such time as
the demand of the public service requires
changes to be made Such an address
would also be in line with civil service
reform, and fitting accompaniment to
that first mentioned.