The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-10-19

Dick (member Of Congress) and of various
federal officials, and stating that any as
s1stance which the addressee can give as
one of those directly Interested in party
success in Ohio will be gratefully acknowl-
edged. 1t seems that this circular was sent
to certain federal officials and that the COM
mission demanded it's withdrawal and that
the executive committee declined or neg
lected to accede to this demand.
Setcion III of the civil-service act, which
provides: That no senator, or representa-
tive, or territorial delegate of the Congress-
or senator. representative or delegate-elect.
or any officer, or employee of either of said
houses, and no executive, judicial, military
or naval officer of the United States, and
no clerk or employee of any department,
branch or bureau of the executive, judicial
or military or naval service of the United
States. shall directly or indirectly solicit OIL
receive, or be in any manner concerned in
soliciting or receiving any assessment, sub
scrfrtiOn, or contribution for any political
purpose whatever. from any officer, clerk or
employe 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 business of the United States
Whatever the particular form of words
adopted in such circulars in order to show
a request rather than a demand, and to
give responses a quasi voluntary character.
the explicit and comprehensive words of
the statute forbidding those barred by
their public relations to solicit from fed
eral officials. directly or indirectly, or to
D( III any ain OAAS1 ~ Ia
or receiving any assessment, subscription
or contribution for any political purpose
whatever unquestionably condemn all
such circulars. They should not be sent to
federal officials, or else they should not
bear the names of the public officers and
employees designated in the act. In p cd,
300. Attorney General Harmon said: "All
who are in the government service are
thus protected against the possibility of
actual coercion and from coercion implied
in the relation of the persons soliciting OF
receiving TO the government or implied in
solicitation or receipt in a public office; but
Congress did not attempt to prohibit So
licitation by or payment TO persons not in
the government service otherwise than in
government offices"
LIT is also pertinent to notice Section
IA of the act, namely: That no officer,
clerk or other person in the service of the
United States or to any senator or mem
Der of the House of Representatives, or ter
ritorial delegate, any money or other val
liable thing on account of or to be applied
TO the promotion of any political object
whatever. Your power to direct, by APP
propriate orders, under the mandates of
these sections. all persons in the executive
service of the United States is clear
IT hereby call the attention of all officers
and employees in the federal service to the
foregoing opinion. and warn them that the
to be by them obeyed and enforced. Any
official in the federal service may without
jeopardy to his official standing contribute
or not exactly as he pleases, provided he
obeys the sections of the civil-service act
above referred to.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
white House, Oct. II, 1902"