St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-11-01
Clerks Asked to Contribute
to Republican Campaign
Fund.
Civil Service Commissioners
Indict the New York Conn., +
mittee's Treasurer. em
A Number of State and County
Chairmen on the
List. 81
Teddy Roosevelt Tries 10
Break the Force Of the "
Charge. g

WASHINGTON. Oct. 31.-The civil
service commission has reported to the
attorney general for criminal prosecu-
ton under the law against soliciting po-
itlcal contributions, the case of Samuel
Thomas, treasurer OF the RepuDllcan
state committee of New York. Three
separate offenses are charged, consist
ing of sending letters of solicitation TO
government clerks in this city. Inc
documents in each case are forwarded
with the report. The letters call for no
specific sum. but request the contribu-
ton of such an amount as the recipient
may choose to give toward the neces-
sary and legitimate expenses of the
campaign.
Mr.. Roosevelt today, in commenting
on the commissions action in the
Thomas case, said:
This is the first time the commission
has ever actively interfered to prevent
the collection OF political assessments
during presidential campaign. Inc
commission has been obliged to suggest
The Indictment
of number of chairmen and officers of
tees, but | am delighted to say that
nothing in any way reflect ng on the
Republican national committee has as
yet b3en laid before us. SO far it seems
beyond doubt that the Republican ma
tional committee has been carefully re-
speeding the law. This is a pleasing
contrast to what was done by the Dem
Ocratic national committee four years
ago, when they not only assessed the
postal clerks and letter carriers in the
local offices, but when actually the
chairman, Mr.. Barnum, came down to
Washington and took up his quarters
here with the avowed purpose or seeing
personally to the assessment of the
thousands of government employees i'll
the departments"
Attorney General Miller when ques-
toned on the ssbject this afternoon, said
he had just received the papers in the
case, and had not yet had time to eX-
anime them. He added that he would
Invectigate this particular case himself,
but certainly would not act until Mr..
Thomas had been given full opportunity
to answer the charges against him.
There is nothing unusual in this course,
as it is the practice in all cases of this
kind. 9A
NEW YORK, Oct. 31.-The report from
Washington alleging that the civil serv-
ice commission had recommended the
criminal prosecution OF Gen. Thomas
was treated lightly at Republican state
headquarters this afternoon. Gen.
Samuel Thomas is the treasurer of the
Republican state committee. The civil
service commission assert that he sent
letters soliciting political contributions
to government clerks. o.
Chairman HacKett was seen on the
subject by an Associated Press repre-
sentative. lie smiled when told of the
report. II hardly credit the report" he
said, however, l can say there is
positively nothing in the charges upon
which it is stated that they have asked
the attorney general to prosecute Gen.
Thomas. The letters sent by this com
mittee to Republicans. asking for ton
tributions to legitimate campaign ex-
penses. are exactly such letters as Tam
many and the Democrats at large are
sending out. There is no demand made
for money, and the recipients Of the let
tiers are not addressed as officeholders.
If officeh olders under the government
receive such letters they get them at
theii homes, just as other Republicans
do. There is nothing in it, you may be
certain"