The advocate., 1891-11-18
A GOVERNMENT OF THE OFFICE HOLDERS
AND NOT OF THE PEOPLE.

daily press of October % and "A, SPEAK
volumes as to how the affairs of the
country are conducted by the Office hold
ing politicians instead of the people:
The footsteps of the government official
who halls from Ohio are turned toward his
native state. The list of those who have
already participated, OF will participate in
the stump speaking in that state begins, OF
course, with the name of Secretary Foster,
and includes Sixth Auditor Coulter, APP
pointment Clerk Turner of the interior de-
psrtment, Homer c. Jones of the law divis-
ion of the land Office, Assistant Attorney
General Rsnnels, Solicitor General Taft,
Deputy Commissioner of Internal Revenue
Wilson, AlphOnso Hart, solicitor of the
treasury department., and others.
Here we have q large number Of the
high official of the United States gov
ernment, headed by a member of the
cabinet, abandoning their official duties,
while continuing to draw their salaries,
and going off to take part in a state cam
paign, and at the same time any under
ling or clerk who really do the work in
the departments are docked If absent
single day beyond their legal leave, NO
matter what the reason, and by law are
forbidden under heavy penalty from
soliciting or subscribing to fund for the
use of either party, If done within the
government buildingsl
At the same time these very clerks
are being bounded by the committees
representing the political parties, as
shown by the following from the same
article:
The committee which is seeking subscrip-
tiOns from the Ohio employees in the various
departments have taken the pains to learn
that there are 775 employees credited to the
state of Ohio, drawing annual salaries
amounting in the aggregate to $1,025, 900.
Two per cent. from each employe would
insure contributions to the amount of $780,
500. AS matter of fact the entire amount
received by the committee is only $1,7OO,
and of this amount over $500 was contrib
uted by persons who do not belong to Ohio.
One Of the Ohio men, who is we'll known,
did not pay cash, but put his note in the
hands of the committee for $25.
Of the 765 employees only about 450 are
voters and last year with every favorable
railroad arrangements only about 400 went
home to vote. II is not expected that more
thon 300 will make the trip this year.
And yet, the whole pretense of the
civil service law is to separate the gov
ernment service from politics, and pre-
vent those in the employment of the gov
srment from interfering with or inhuenc-
ing the elections! II the parties are
honest in such pretense or desire, why is
not the law made to include these higher
officials as we'll as the clerksH Everybody
Knows, of course, that the higher the Of !
icial the greater his influence upon the
elections?
Why, then, do they not by law forbid
hese higher officials from meddling at
II, and leave the voters free to vote as
hey see fit? And why should not the
anne rules as to absence and loss of pay
70 applied to the men drawing the big
alarieS as to those drawing the low sala-
iesH
On the other side, the following in the
anne paper of the day following shows
low the opposite party is operating in
Massachusetts,, where it happens to be In
)oWer: