Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-01-27
HOW IT WAS DONE.
A Pretty Little Story of Alleged
Civil Service Law fio-
lation.
THE COERCION OF GOVERNMENT
IcLERhs.
Ingenious and Widespread Yelled
Threats and Intimida.
lions.
EULoeY ON THE LATE JEFFER-
EuLocY ON THE LATE JEFFER.
SON DAVIS.
Confusion in a Church Caused by the
Franks OF an Insane Man.-Re-
H eOTery Of a Missing Body.
By Telegraph to the NKws.l
CIVIL SERVICE Law.
Commissioners RooscveIi's tcport
ON Ifs Recent Violations.

on IFS Recent Violations
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25.-Civil
Service Commissioner Roosevelt
has submitted to full committee
the report of the recent investiga.
ton into the alleged violations OF
the civil service law in the New
York custom house just prior to the
last presidential election. Upon the
subject of the collection of political
assessments during that campaign,
Roosevelt says the present law has
put a complete stop TO the open
spOliatiOu Of the poor clerks, ard
makes il imperatively difficult TO
mulct them even secretly. Govern
ment employees do not as a rule,
contribute simply from n desire TO
help the political cause in which
they believe. In other words, en-
ployes are coerced into making them
fear their position to be jeopardIzed
II they fail 20 do so. 1t is probably
safe to say that ninety per cent. Of the
money collected for political pur-
poses for minor governmental en-
ployes represents so much black
mail. Those who agree in politics
with the party in control feel some
assurance Of protection if they
refuse TO he cOerced into parting
with their money. But unfortu-
mates Of the opposite political faith
feel they have no power behind the
throne ON which to rely, are ner-
vously afraid Of giving otiense, and
yield helplessly when threatened.
THE AMOUNT PAID
is not absolutely very great in in
dividual cases, but to the poor clerH
Just able to get along, loss Of 3 per
cent In his salary may mean just
the difference between having and
not having winter overcoat for
himself, n warm dIvss for his wife
or . Chtistmas tree for his children.
Another fact 10 IL rcmsdied is that
much OF the money so collected is
never turned into party campaign
chests mt all. being kept for their
own l.iTsts uses by the jackals
who have collected IL. One Of the
witnesses in the present case,
strong republican, who was holding
Office under the last administration,
testified that he was advised 10 con
tribute TO the democratic campaign
by one of his friends, a New York
republican district leader, as being
the only thing 20 DO " I've Wished to
keep his place. The investiga-
ton alleged violations Of the law
against making political assessments.
| have made n more or less complete
examination into the conduct IN
this respect of the offices Of the
collector, surveyor and naval offices
OF the port Of New York during the
presidential election Of ISIS. In
the naval Office, under Mr.. Burt
my investigation goes to show that
the law was observed absolutely, both
in letter aud spirit. As far as | can
find out, no collections were made
FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES
in any shape or form, and nsthing
like political coercion was tolerated.
In the collectors Office under Ma
gone thete was an apparently wide
spread but not utilvernl and 10y no
means always successful effort
TO evade the law by persulding or
forcing the republican clerks to con
tribute. Some, at least, Of these re-
publican clerks must have been
kept, because they were especially
singled out for more or less indirect
solicitation, either personally or by
a circular. aud there is the testimony
Of a witness that this solicitation, was
undertaken by the express command
of Magone's private secretary, there
being nothing 10 show, however, that
MagOne was aware Of his secretary's
action. The effort to mike them
contribute was made indirectly, and
usually 81 guardedly that it is diff
cult to say the law was actually VIC
lated in its letter.
In the surveyors Office, under
Reattie, the contributions as far a.
Is shown by the testimony Of the
twenty-eight witnesses examined,
were universal. The democrats
generally gave their money Of their
own accord, but the republican
clerks were practically forced
against theirs TO pay what were in
reality political assessments for the
benefit Of the opposite party. This
was accomplished by an ingenious
and widespread system Of Yelled
THREATS And EXAMINATIONS,
so well carried out that ii was COM
pletely successful. Every method
was resoTted TO, while at the same
time avoiding the actual demand Of
money. For instance, some Of the
witnesses were forced TO contribute
by being made very uncomfortable
in their work until they did SO.
They were origiRalIy~at work at
stations near their homes, and sud
denly shifted 10 others far distant.
and very inconvenient for them to
20 to- Their inquiries failed to dis
cover the reason for the change,and
they were kept at the new stations
until they had finally made up their
minds to pay, when they were tcans-
ferred to their old places without a
word being said.
EnIcEs on Jefferson Davis.
RICHMOND, Va, Jan. 25s-The
NTczort a aodanar yras crnv-sisaf last