Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-10-27
POLITICAL ASSESSMENTS
Postmaster Browne Has Received an
Order Affecting Federal 0l1ceFS.
IT WAS SENT FROM WASHINGTON
Persons In Public Service Must
Not Contribute.
PROVISIONS OF LAW ON THE SUBJECT

Postmaster Hugh @. Browne has re-
ceived the following from Washington:
warming against political assess
ments. The Civil Service Act make
political assessments of Federal officers
and employees misdemeanor. The
following are the provisions of the law
on that subject:
Z "Sec. 2. Paragraph second, clause
fifth. That no person in the public
service is for that reason under any
obligation to contribute to any political
fund, or to render any political service,
and that he will not be removed or
otherwise prejudiced for refusing to
do SO.
"Sec. II. That no Senator or Repre-
sentative or Territorial delegate of the
Congress, or Senator, Representative,
or Delegate-elect, or any officer or en-
ploye Of either of said houses, and no
executive, judicial, military or naval
officer of the United States, and no
clerk or employee of any department,
branch or bureau of the executive,
judicial, or military or naval service OF
the United States, shall, directly or
indirectly, solicit or receive, or be in
any manner concerned in soliciting or
receiving any assessment, subscription
or contribution for any political pur-
pose whatever, from any officer, clerk
or employee of the United States, or any
department., branch or bureau thereof,
or from any person receiving any salary
or compensation from moneys derived
from the Treasury of the United States.
"Sec. IL. That no person shall, in
any room or building occupied in the
discharge of official duties by. any
officer or employe of the United States
| mentioned in this act, or in any navy
yard, fort, or arsenal, solicit in any
| manner whatever, or receive any con-
| tribution of money or any other thing
| of value for any political purpose what
| ever.
"Sec. 49, No officer or employe Of
| the United States mentioned in this
act shall discharge or promote, or de-
| grade, or in any manner change the
| official rank or compensation of any
| officer or employee, Or promise or threat
/ en- SO to do, for giving or withholding
| or neglecting to make any contribution
of money or other valuable thing for any
| political purpose.
stSec. IA. That no officer, clerk or
other person in the service of the
United States shall, directly or in
directly, give or hand over to any
other officer or clerk, or person in the
service of the United States, or to any
Senator or member of the House OF
Representatives, or Territorial Dele
gate, any money or other valuable
thing on account of or to be applied to
the promotion of any political object
whatever.
"Sec. Is. That any person who shall
! be guilty of violating any provision of
the four foregoing sections shall be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and
shall, on conviction thereof, be punished
by fine not exceeding fvc thousand
dollars, or by Imprisonment for term
not exceeding three years, or by such
fine and Imprisonment both, in the
discretion of the court.
Approved January 10th, 1883.
4 "United States Civil Service Com
Y mission, Washington, d. O., Aug 20,
II 1896. 1t is the duty of the commission
to sec that the provisions Of this law
are strictly enforced, and it will en-
ploy every legitimate and available
means to secure the prosecution and
punishment of whoever may violate
them. The commission requests amy
person having knowledge of any viola
tion Of this law, to lay the facts before
it, and it will at once take action upon
| them. John r. Proctor, president
Postmaster Browne has issued the
following under date of today:
"All employees connected with this
office are hereby notified that they are
under no obligation whatever by rea.
son of their being in the public ser.
, | vice to make contributions or subscrip.
tions for political or other purposes,
and that they will not DO molested oil
in any way Disseminated against fol
failure to so subscribe or contribute.
'Hugh G. Browne, Postmaster. -