Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-07
No Complaint Yet Made Of Political
Assessments.
CAMPAIGN has BEEN EXCEPTIONAL
Practice of Both Parties in the
Past.
EFORM EFFE CITE d

There is prevalent idea among civil
service reformers and throughout the gov
eminent departments here that the day for
political assessments on federal employees
has about passed.
For many years political parties looked
upon the body OF federal employees as a
natural source of a substantial campaign
fund every four years. Experiences has
shown that campaign committees, whether
democratic or republican. have. In the past.
with about equal force. made demand on
men holding public Office. But of late years.
since the civil service commission has put
forth special efforts to make widely known
the law relating to special assessments.
and since the commission has taken meas
ures to have violations of the law prose-
cuted. this practice has been steadily d.
minishng. There is no reason why any
political organization should not invite Of
flee holders to contribute to campaign
funds. whatever party 1t may represent.
so long as II does not violate the law by
gcing too far in it's demands.
why Demands Have Ceased.
But the falling off Of efforts to get money
from Office holders is generally believed to
result from the idea that the little money
secured Is not worth the scandal that Is al
most sure to follow any vigorous effort OF
that kind. A thousand circulars sent to
office holders will cost about $40 and the
return from them for q long time has been
very unsatisfactory, especially In this city.
where the protection OF the civil service
law is so complete for those in the classified
service that the day has long since passed
when any one has contributed without
wishing to do SO. Practical experience has
shown that certain percentage of men
who enter the public service and remain in
II for a long number Of years retain their
nd yx,iI nfrSf.
their home campaign funds whether they
are sent circulars or not They would
rather volunteer a contribution to their
county chairman than to have II obtained
by the influence OF q circular for when
they send II. In response to a communica-
ton many OF them feel that they are i'm a
way merely responding TO q demand
Not only do many men make political
contributions voluntarily, but many of
them will make them that way when they
rear tnsy would violate the law If they
some campaign committee.
Contributions Returned
A case Of this kind was shown some
months ago In Alabama. where in one place
500 had been collected by voluntary contri-
buttons from federal Office holders for po-
litical purposes. Then. I'm order to increase
the amount. a circular was issued. and not
only did II not result In increasing the fund
but II caused a fear that the voluntary
contributors might be violating the law and
IL was decided to return the $50 to those
who had subscribed it,
Up to the present time the civil service
commission has not received a single com
plant OF the violation Of the civil service
law by political assessments. News OF the
leFy1ng or political assessments or the in
tsntion To levy them I'm New York has been
published, but the commission has had no
complaint from New York, and from no
place but that city has 1t even heard
81 ha
This is unusual at this time
OF the year. for. as a rule, In presidential
campaigns by the LIST of September COM
paints of such violations have been made