The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-10-30
POLITICAL ASSESSMENT EVIL
IMPORT1NT RULING MADE BY
CIVIL SERTICE COMMISSION.
Soliciting of Campaign Funds by
Letter Within Remedial Provisions
of Law-QuesttOn brought Up by
Circular of Ohio Republicans Asking
Funds of Federal Employees.

Washington, Oct. ga long official
statement reviewing the legal phases OF
the political assessment question, and
holding that the soliciting of campaign
funds bysletter comes clearly within the
remedial provisions of the civil service
law, was made public by the civil SER
vice commission tonight
The commission made the statement
because of circulars sent out by W. f.
Burdell, as treasurer of the finance COM
mittee Of the Ohio republican state eX-
ecutive committee, soliciting contribu-
tions from federal employees. The COM
mission says the Ohio circulars bring
UP clearly the question, so long await
ing judicial determine ton, as to Wheth-
er soliciting Of contributions for polit1-
cal purposes by means of letters ad-
dressed to federal officers and employees
at their offices constitutes an offense
under the twelfth section Of the civil
service act. The commissions ruling
or brief, now made public, was submit
ted by President Proctor of the commits
sion to ex-senator George F. Edmunds
of Vermont, who was chairman of the
senate judiciary committee at the time
the civil service act was passed. The
latter in his opinion, to which the COM
mission gives particular significance,
says: II entirely agree with the con-
clusions stated in the brief. l think IT
is clear that the soliciting of such polit-
ical aids by means of the postoffice Is
distinctly within the prohibition of sec
ton IL of the act to which l refer The
language of the section is that no per-
son shall in any room or building ETC.,
solicit in any manner whatever, etc.
1t is not that no person being in a room
or building shall solicit, but 1T Is that no
shall be made in any such
place, no matter where the person MAX
ing the solicitation may be-
The commission reviews at length le-
gal decisions opposite to the question
under consideration, and says that from
them the conclusion is unavoidable that
the writing and sending through the
United States mails of letters addressed
to an officer or employe Of the govern
ment at his office, asking for a contrib
ution of money for any political pur-
pose constitutes solicitation of money !
for that purpose, and that since such
solicitation has it's full effect only upon
the delivery of such letter to the ad-
1ressee, which delivery occurs within
government building, it is an act of So
letting done in a government building,
and hence comes within meaning of the |
express terms of the statute.
The commission adds: "The statute
ioes not deal with the mode Of solicit |
ng, but the fact itself, and it would |
rave been most unusual If congress had |
to specify the different |
orms Of soliciting. 1t is not sufficient |
or the party managers to keep from
he building in order to avoid the legal |
penalties, while at the same time he
all the harm which congress
to prevent. The evil has been
aggravated by the large number of cir
ulars sent to employees of the govern
nent through the mail, that agency be-
ng very convenient one by which to
each a number Of persons. That these
'ery circulars We're definitely in the
mind of congress as a main source Of
he evil here sought to be remedied is
learly inferable from the fact that
umbers of such circulars were actual
Y presented and read, and the fact Of
heir being sent through the mails to
ersons in the government employ
learly alluded to during the debates
l the senate prior to the passage of the
ILL.,"