Evening star., 1896-10-01
MIR. LASSITER RESIGNS.
The Letter of Attorney General Har-
mon on the Duties of His Office.

The Letter of Attorney General Har-
mon on the Duties of His Office.
The attitude of the administration. espe-
cially .he Department OF Justice, with ref
erence to the active participa ton of federal
officials In political campaigns, is clearly
defined in a letter written by Attorney
General Harmon to Francis r. Lassiter,
United States attorney for the eastern dis
trict Of Virginia, accepting THAI officer s
resignation. Mr.. Lassiter is chairman of a
campaign committee in his district and has
taken prominent part in the political
struggles in that state. On the 18th proX-
imo the Attorney General called MIR. Las
Siter'S attention to this matter and said
that while Of course there is nothing in
the holding Of any office which can or
should interfere with a mans freedom of
private opinion or personal political action,
he cannot, when either a candidate for an
other office or actively engaged in man.
aging campaign for others Nho are sucn
candidates, avoid embarraSsmeHtS and en-
tanglementS which necessarily interfere or
at least may be thought to interfere, with
the proper discharge of his official duties.
In defense of his course, Mr.. Lass.ter sad
that he had held the office of committee
man of his district for some time and was
generally known as an active working DEM
ocrat when appointed United States district
attorney. He added that he saw nothing in
his political conduct inconsistent with his
obligations as an officer of the federal gov
ernment.
subsequently the Attorney General wrote
him a letter, which resulted in the subinis-
sion of his resignation as United States at
tCrney. The Attorr ey General said: W nat
ever rule may prevail in other departments,
it is well settled in this, stated in my
letter, that there is an improperly in OF
ficers like you acting as committeeman 10
manage and conduct political campaigns.
The reasons are so manifest that they
| should not require more than mere sug-
gestion.
1.-The same reasons which are universally
held to preclude judges from active partc-
ipation in political campaigns apply,
though perhaps in somewhat less degree.
to all officers concerned i'll the administra-
tion of justice
Your political work necessarily brings
you in direct contact with people of all
classes, whose assistance you seek TO gain
or whose opposition you seek to overcome.
1t is impossible for you to do and have
done the work which devolves on members
of a campaign committee, especially in
times of high feeling and great excitement.
without gathering crop of friendly and
unfriendly feelings which. as common eX-
perience teaches. very often have an un-
conscious influence on thought and action.
1t is more than likely that some of the per-
sons with whom your political action SO
brings you in contact will be involved in
your future official action. You NAV be
able. as you think you are. to escape or re-
press In what you do as an officer all effect
Of the recollections of your campaign work.
but you will be utterly unable, especially In
cases where your action may appear to CO.
incde with your supposed inclination. to
make the community at large believe that
your action has not been in any degree so
affected.
LAS 1 told you. neither the rule nor its
application are to be affected by the man
or the circumstances involved in its appli-
cation. Whatever political party or creed
your actions should be exerted to support
the rule would be the same
The question to which your letter refers
of inconsistency or improperly in an Off
Ger supporting. in any way, political move
ments which expressly condemn the ad-
mintstration of which he is a part. is one
with which 1 do not now care to deal. 1t
appears to me to be. at least so long as
such support is conf1red to the mere express
sion OF his views or to voting a matter to
be left to the officers individual sense of
propriety."