The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-08-31
JUDGE WILCOX NOMINATED. KEEP OUT Of POLITICS
COLLECTOR sTACKABLE TO HIS
SUBORDINATES
Federal officials Influence Not Wanted
in Primaries or Convetnions-Adv
From Grover Cleveland.

steer clear of primaries, conventions
and politics" generally, is the instruc-
tiOns given yesterday to the custom
house employees by Collector Stackable.
The collector posted a lot of United
States regulations on the subject, with
an additional note of his own, inform
ing the employees that they would not
be molested or in any way discrimin-
ated against for failure to do political
work or to contribute to campaign
funds.
The Federal laws on the subject are
very severe, as is shown by the follow
ing extracts, which the collector yester-
day caused to be posted in conspicu-
Gus places for the benefit of his em-
ployes:
mo Senator or Representative or
Territorial Delegate of the Congress or
Senator or Representative, or delegate
elect or any other officer or employe of
either house shall directly or indirectly
solicit or receive or be in any manner
concerned in the soliciting or receiving
of any assessment subscription or con-
tribution for any political purpose
whatever from any officer, clerk or en-
ploye of the United States, or any de-
partment, branch or bureau thereof or
from any person receiving any salary
or compensation from moneys derived
from the United States treasury.
mo person shall in any room occu-
pied in the discharge of official duties
by any official or employe of the United
States solicit in any manner whatso-
ever, or receive, any contribution of
money or any other thing of value for
any political purpose whatever.
mo official or employe mentioned in
this act shall be discharged or promot-
ed or degraded or in any manner
changed in official rank for giving or
Withholding or neglecting to give money
or any other valuable thing for any
political purpose whatever"
The penalty for violation of these
provisions is fine of $4,000 or three
years imprisonment or both.
In addition to the laws Collector
Stackable posted some good advice on
| the subject, issued by heads of depart
ment in 1886 by order of President
| Cleveland.
"Ofce holders are agents of the peo-
| pie, not their masters" says this cir
cular of advice. mot only is their time
and labor due to the government, but
| they should scrupulously avoid in their
| political action, as well as in the dis
charge of their duty, offending by the
display of obstrusive partisanship their
| neighbors who have relations with them
| as political officials.
They should also constantly remem-
| Der that their party friends, from whom
| they have received preference, have not
| invested them with the power of arbi-
| trarily managing political affairs They
have no right as office holders to die
| tate the political action of party asso-
ciates or to throttle freedom of action
within party lines, by methods and
| practices which prevent every useful
and justifiable purpose of party organ
| ization.
1.-The influence of Federal officials
should not be felt in the manipulation
of political primary meetings and no.
|
these officials of their positions to COM
| pass their selection as delegates to pO-
litical conventions is indecent and un-
| fair and proper regard for the prOprie-
ties and requirements of official place
will also prevent their assuming active
| conduct of political campaigns.
Independent interest and activity in
political affairs are by no means con-
| demned. Office holders are neither dis
| franchised not forbidden the exercise
Of political privileges, but their privil-
eyes are not enlarged, not is their duty
to party increased to pernicious activ-
ity, by office holding.
"a Just discrimination in this regard
between the things citizen may pro-
perly do and the purposes for which a
public office holder should not be used
is easy in the light of a correct appre-
citation of the relation between the
people and those intrusted with official
places, and the necessity under oul
form of government, of political action
free from official coercion"
| All this is posted, the collector states
by direction of the secretary of the
treasury. The collector adds that "ai
employees are hereby notified that they
are under no obligations whatever by
reason of their being in the public ser
vice to make contributions or subscrip
tion for political or other purposes, ol
to render political service, and thai
they will not be molested or in any
way Disseminated against for failure
so to subscribe. contribute or serve"