The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-07-27

some of them may lose their jobs.
When hon. L. NJ Simmons wrote to
the President complaining of their
pernicious activity, they laughed. Now
they are looking serious enough, and
like Br'er Rabbit they are thinking
mighty hard.
And the following received yestcr
day is not calculated to add to their
merriment or tighten their thoughts:
United States Senate,
Washington, D. c., July %, 1900.
Hon. Mr. Simmons, Chairman Democratic
State Executive Committee, Raleigh,
n. G.
My Dear Mr.. Simmons: l received
your letter enclosing copy of the state
ment made to the President concerning
pernicious activity of Federal employees
in the State canvass. / spent sometime
this morning with the Civil Service Com
missioners, trying to ascertain to what
extent they had authority to interfere in
the matter. We went over the different
statutes and regulations. l enclose you
the Executive Order issued in 1885, al
though / presume you have a copy of it.
Some of the Departments, l understand,
have issued similar orders to their en-
ployes.
The case you mention of the United
States attorneys is a very gross one ard
should have immediate attention. The
Civil Service Commissioners had received,
but had not read your letter to them
when l called to see them. They Will
ask for affidavits to support the state
ments made therein. 1 do not recollect
what date the election comes off, but
fear they will have little time to do any
thing If there can be proven such flag-
rant violations of the Civil Service rules
as appear in your statement, then the
Commission will demand the removal of
the offenders from office.
The Commission promised me to write
you very fully upon the subject, and l
hope they will do SO to-day
The President is not in the city or
would call upon him. He is not expected
here for sometime l shall be here this
week. If you have any further COM
munication. you had better send it here
and it will be forwarded, as | expect to
go to Cape May the 1st of next week, but
may have to return Immediately to see
about this Cuban investigation.
Very truly yours,
(Signed) H. D. MONEY.
circular signed John Il. Proctor, pres
ident. issued by the Civil Service Com
mission. from Washington, ID. C., Oc-
tober 18th, 1898, to Federal office
holders and employees, United States
Civil Service Commission:
your attention is invited to the fol-
lowing extracts from the Executive in
structions Of July 14th, 1886, which are
still in force, and which are ropublisned
for the information and guidance of all
officers and employees in the executive
civil service. These instructions were
issued as orders by each of the Depart
ments at the time, in accordance with the
direction of the President They were
also included in the Postal Laws and Reg
ulations of 1893 (see sec. 1850. On May
%, 1894, they were republished by the
Postmaster General.
office holders are the agents of the
people, not their masters. Not only is
their time and labor due to the Govern
ment but they should scrupulously avoid,
in their political action as well as in the
discharge of their official duty, offending,
by a display of obstrusive partisanship,
their neighbors who have relations with
them as public officials.
.'They should also constantly remember
that their party friends, from whom they
have received preferment, have not in
vested them with the power Of arbitrarily
managing their political affairs. They
have no right as office-holders to die
tate the political action of their party
associates, or to throttle freedom of ac-
ton within party lines by methods and
practices which pervert every useful and
justifiable purpose of party organization.
1.-The influence of Federal office-holders
should not be felt in the manipulation OF
political primary meetings and nominating
conventions. The use by these officials OF
their positions to compass their selection
as delegates to political conventions is
indecent and unfair; and proper regard
for the proprieties and requirements of
official place will also prevent their as
Stunning the active conduct of political
campaigns.
Individual interest and activity in
political affairs are by no means con-
demned. Office holders are neither dis
franchised nor forbidden the exercise OF
political privilege; but their privileges
are not enlarged, nor is their duty to
party increased to pernicious activity by
office holding.
"A Just discrimination in this regard
between the things citizen may properly
do and the purposes for which a public
office should not be used is easy in the
light of a correct appreciation of the re-
lation between the people and those en-
trusted with official place, and consid-
Grafton of the necessity, under our form
of government of political action free
from official coercion.
The Postmaster General. in letter
dated August s, 1898, stated that the or
der of the President above quoted had
been neither revoked nor modified.
Section of the civil service act of
January 16 1883. provides that no person