Evening journal., 1900-08-20
POLITICS BARRED
BY COMMISSION
United States Civil Service
Board Takes Stand
Says Office Holders Are The Agents
Of The People and Not Their
Masters

washington, d. g., Aug. 2O.-frOm
the United States Civil Service Com
mission comes the following utter
ance, which is the latest instruction re-
garding political work on the part Of
Federal employees, and copies OF which
will be forwarded to employees who
come under civil service rule;
United States Civil Service Commits
sion, Washington, d. G.
Sir: Your attention is invited to the
following extracts from the executive
instructions Of July IA, 1886. which are
still in force, and which are republlsh-
ed for the information and guidance
Of all officers and employees in the ex-
ecutive civil service These instruc-
tions were issued as orders by each OF
the departments at the time, in accord
ance with the direction Of the presi-
dent. They were also included in the
postal laws and regulations OF 1898
(see section 435) On May %, 1894
they were repubished by the postmas-
ter general:
"Onice holders are the agents Of the
people, not their masters. Not only
is their money and labor due to the
government, but they should .scrupu-
lOusly avoid, in their political action
| fetal duty, offending, by display of OBJ
trusive partisanship. their neighbors
who have relations with them as public
officials.
They should also constantly remem-
her that their party friends, frCm
whom they have received preferment.
have not invested them with the power
Of arbitrarily managing their political
] . ~ fHC frrl
holders to dictate the political action of
their party associates, OF to throttle
freedom of action within party lines by
methods and practices which pervert
every useful and justihable purpose OF
party organization.
INDECENT AND UNFAIR.
1.-THE influence OF Federal office
holders should not be felt in the ma
nipulation of political primary meet
ings 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 ths
properties and requirements Of Onicia
place will also prevent their assuminl
the active conduct Of political cam
paigns.
individual interest and activity fl
political affairs are by no means con
demned. Ohice-holders are neithe
disfranchised nor forbidden the exer
, else of political privileges; but thei
privileges are not enlarged nor is thei
duty to party increased to perniciou
activity by office-hOlding.
"A just discrimination in this re
gard between the things a citizen ma,
properly do and the purposes for whicl
a public office should not be used Il
easy in the light Of a correct apprecia
tlon Of the relation between the people
and those intrusted with official place
! and a consideration OF the necessity
f, under our form OF government Of pO
e. litical action free from official co
{ ercion."
d The postmaster-ganeral, In a lette
> dated August 8. 1898 stated that tn
, order of the president above quoted ha.
been neither revoked nor. modified.
These who enter the classified civ
. service upon the ground Of ascertaine
: merit as established by the civil ser
vice rules, and are protected therein
should be quick to recognize the recip
rocal obligations thereby imposed an
avoid any action which now or at an
future time could reasonably be sub
, ject to adverse political criticism.
. The commission believes that tn
best interests Of the service will b
promoted by the non-participation c
! all members Of its boards of examiner
{ IN political conventions or in the wOr
Of political committees.
While attendance at a political con
e vention as a delegate or membershi
d unDn a political committee is not in il
self a violation Of the civil servic
rules, the commission holds that a
partisan activity, If sufficient to in
. pair usefulness as a representative
= he Civil Service Commission. is sufi
Z -ient cause for removal from member
u ship ON any Of its boards Of exam
, iners.
9 Section Of the civil service act
b January 16, 1888. provides that no pc
.e son in the public service has any rigl
to use his official authority or influen,
TO coerce the political action Of an
person or body"
Very respectfully,
! JOHN R. PROCTOR, President.