The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-07-31
MAY YET SUFFER FOR THEIR OFFENSIVE
pARTlSANSHiP
VIOLATING THE CIVIL SERVICE
The Commissions Attention Called to
the Conduct OF federal Ofice-Hold-
ers In the Campaign fu This State
Afidavits rs to the Charges or Chair
man simmons Called for The Com
mission Calls Attention to the Strict
Order Of the President onThis subject
Especial to the Messenger.)

fSaIclSu, ~ u, July 0-~NHaAEih d4
Simmons has received the following
letter from Senator Money:
ct received your letter enclosing a
copy of the statement made TO the
tivity OF federal employees in the state
canvass. 1 spent some time this
morning with the civil service commits
%sioners, trying to ascertain to what
extent they had authority TO interfere
in the matter. We went over the diff
trent statute and regulations.
II enclose an executive order issued
in 1858, although 1 presume You have a
copy. Some of the departments, 1 I'M
d~erstand, have issued similar orders
t their employees. The case o men
ton of United States attorneys is a
very gross one and hould have i'm
mediate attention The civil service
commissioners had received. but had
not read your letter / called to
see them. They will ask for affidavits
to support The statements made there
in. 1 do not ~recolltct what date the
election m off, but I fear they will
AA%F AANSAS 800 ~ w N%As AAA
IF there a be ove such fla
grant violations of the civil services
rules as appear in your statement then
the commission will demand the re-
moval Of the offenders from office. The
commission promised me to write you
very fully upon the subject, and l hope
will do so to-day. The president is
not in the city or 1 would call upon
him. He is not expected here for some
~@ -I~Il - I~-N ALs- -
a " any further communication you
had better send it here and it will b.
forwarded
Following are extracts from the cir
cular letter issued by the civil service
commission October15, 1898, to federal
office-holders. The circula is entitled
Political Activity of Federal Officers
and Employees. United States Civil
Service Commission"
Your attention is invited t o the fol-
lowing extracts from executive in
Structions of July IA, 1886, which are
still in force and which are r%epubliSh-
ed for information and guidance of all
officers and employees in executive civil
service. These instructions were is
sued as orders by zach department at
the time in accordance with direction
of the president. They were also in
cluded in the postal laws and regula-
ton sof 1893. May %, 1894, they We're
republiShed by the postmaster general:
"Ofice-hOlders are agents Of the
people,, not their masters. Not only is
their time and labor due the govern
ment, but they should sc~rupulously
avoid, in their political action, as we'll
as in discharge of their official duties,
offending, by display of %obtrusive par
t~isanship, their neighbors who have
1nlotiopC ryifh tho.o nc N,I,l1 -,Nf;1;~I-
They should also constantly remember
that their party friends. from whom
they have received preferment, have
not invested them with power of arbi-
trarily managing their political affairs.
They a no right as office-holders
to dictate the political action Of their
party associates, or to throttle free
dom Of action within party lines by
methods and practices which pervert
every useful n j~uStifiable purpose Of
party organization. Influence of fed
eral office-holders should not be felt
in manipulation Of political primary
meetings and nominating nven
lions. Use of these officials of their
positions to compass their selection as
delegates to political conventions is in
decent and unfair, and proper regard
for the prOprietieS and requirements
of official place will also prevent their
assuming active conduct of political
campaigns.
individual interest and activity in
political affairs are by no NEAR con-
demned. Ofice-holders are neither
d~isfranchised nor forbidden exercise of
political privileges, but heir privileges
are not enlarged, nor is their duty to
party increased to pernicfous activity
by ofice-holding. Just discrimination
in this regard between things citizens
may properly do and purposes for
which public office should not be used
Is easy in the light Of correct appre-
citation of h relation between the
people and those entrusted with off,
cial place, and consideration of neces-
sity, under our form Of government, OF
political action free from official coer-
cion-"
The postmaster general, in a letter
dated August s, 1898. stated that the
order Of the president above quoted
had been neither revoked nor modi-
fid. Section 2 of the civil service act
of January 16, 1888. provides that nc
person in public service has any right
to use his official authority or influence
to coerce the political action of any
person or body"
This circular, giving instructions to
federal office-holders, was given Il
Senator Money by the civil service
commission and forwarded by him tc
Chairman Simmons.