Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-10-30
THE LAW VIOLATED.
So the Civil Service Commis-
sion Asserts.
IN THE OHIO CASE.
fhe Ruling Was Submitted to EI-Sena-
tor Eamuuts, Who Approved It-Poiit-
icaI S-s,ESn,eiIts by Letter Declared
Illegal Further Assertions Made.

statement. reviewing the legal phases
of the political assessment question and
no ing that the soliciting of campaign
funds by letter comes clearly within
the remedial provisions of the civil serv-
ice Law, was made public by the civil
service commission. The commission
made the statement because of circulars
sent out by W. +. Burdell. as treasurer
of the finance committee of the Ohio
Republican state executive committee,
soliciting contributions from federal en-
ployes.
The commission said the Ohio clrcu-
lars brought up clearly the question so
long awaiting Judicial determination
as to whether soliciting of contributions
for political purposes by means of let
tiers addressed to federal officers or en-
ployes at their offices constitute an Of
Tense under the twelfth section of the
civil service act. The commission S rui-
ing, or brief, was submitted by President
Proctor of the commission to eX-Sena-
tor George +. Edmonds of Vermont,
who was chairman of the senate judi
clary committee at the time the CIVIL
service act was passed. The latter, in
his opinion, to which the commission
gives particular significance, says:
Il entirely agree with the conclusions
stai ed in the brief. think it is clear
that the solicitation of such political
aids by means OF the postotice is dis
tlnctly within the prohibition of section
3 of the act to which you refer. The
language of the section is, that no per.
son shall, in any room or building etc.,
solicit III any manner whatever, etc.
1t is not that no person being in room
or building shall solicit, but it is that
no solicitation shall be made in any snch
place, no matter where the person max
ing the solicitation may be. 1t, for ln-
stance, person on the street outside
the treasury department should send a
written offer to some person employed
within the building to pay price for
robbing the vaults or committing any
other wrong, it would be clear that his
offense was committed within the build
ing, for the writing of the offer would
be entirely incomplete until delivered to
the person to whom it was addressed. /
think it impossible, therefore, to main.
tain that such acts as you refer to are
not within both the letter and the spirit
of the act of congress.
After quoting this letter the commits
sion reviews at length legal decisions
bearing on the question under consider.
alton and said that from them the con-
clusion was unavoidable that the writ
ing and sending through the United
States mail OF letter addressed to an
officer or employe of the government at
his office ASKING for contribution of
money for any political purpose consti-
tutes solicitation OF money for that
purpose; and that since such solicitation
has its full effect only upon the delivery
of such letter to the addressee, which
de iver. occI;rs within government
bu, ,.ci,i-. II Is an act of soliciting done
III .',,srnsnent building, and hence
t.. .,nin the meaning of the eX-
!. - 81 the statute. Continuing
-, IN said:
''..,. .nteittion of congress rs ex-
pressed III the twelfth section of the
civil service act was to protect federal
employees in the discharge of their Off
ciai duties from political assessments by
anyone. The mischief to be suppressed
was the official and quasi-official solici-
tation OF clerks for political purposes,
official when officers used their stations