Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-09-20
Activity of Civil Service Com
mission Has Made 1t Hard
For State Officers
THE PRESIDENTS ATTITUDE
He Depreoates Activity in Campaigns
by Federal officehoIders, But Mat
ter of Assessments or Contributions
Was Apparently Not Included in His
Inhibition.
.ecial to Tirnes-Republican.

Des Moines, Sept. 20.-The applica-
ton Of the civil service law ana lta
restrictions to the federal office hold
ers works indirectly a hardship on the
state officials and employees. The in
ability to get campaign FUNDS from
the federal officials in year OF the
national election leads inevitably to
greater burdens on the state officials.
The pernicious activity OF the civil SER
vice commission in spreading broad
cast the heresy that it is improper for
those who hold office to contribute to
| the campaign managers who are do>
| ing work to keep their party In power
| has resulted in failure to get very
much from Washington. The less from
Washington, the more from Des
Moines.
II see no Justice In exempting the
federal officials" said one state official
Yesterday. This Is national year,
and the presidential campaign and the
congressional campaigns are OF chief
| interest. All the state employees are
expected to pay and pay literally and
all the judicial and county officers con-
tribute. But this is the year congress-
men are elected and the holders OF
federal positions ought to pay UP. The
| civil service law operates to our dis
advantage. We ought to be exemp.
this year save in offices where tbs
heads are to be elected. Instead OF
that it is made doubly hard on u.s."
I
| The warnings against politics as
sessments and partisan activity of Of
| flee holders" have been posted here
where those under the protection Of
the civil service will see them. The
| assessment Of office holders is mis-
demeanor, but the law is not fully un>
derstood. The greatest offense is In
the case of federal office holder par
ticipating in any way in the making or
| assessments. This is what caused the
trouble in Iowa few years ago when
letters were sent to Washington on
which appeared the name Of II. w.
Clayton, of Oskaloosa. He was then
a member Of the state committee, but
had gone to Washington, to accept
clerical position, which he still holds.
OF course he knew nothing OF the solf-
citing letters, but the commission
threatened to make him trouble. As
indicating the attitude of President
Roosevelt in regard to political activ-
ity of federal office holders he is quo-
ted as of June 10, 1902, writing:
"In consideration Of fixity Of tenure
and of appointment in no way due to
political considerations, the man in the
classified service, while retaining his
right to vote as he pleases and to ex-
press privately his opinions on all po-
liticaI subjects, should not take any
active part in political management or
in political campaigns, for precisely
the same reasons that judge, al,
army officer, regular soldier or
policeman is debarred from taking
such active part. This, of course APP
plies even more strongly to any con-
duct on the part of such employees so
prejudicial to good discipline as is
implied in a public attack on his or her
superior officers, or other conduct LA
BILE to cause scandal. Office holders
must not use their offices to control
political movements, must not neglect
their public duties, must not cause
public scandal by their activity"
All this will explain why there is
so much interest being taken just now
in the case of the letters sent to the
Iowa Office holders in Washington, one
of which fell into the hands of the civil
service commission, and trouble is
threatened for the Iowa republican
prosecutions under the civil service law
1oi0 r,f f1,n ai1r
service commission has been quoted as
saying that if the facts are slow to
warrant it prosecution will follow, as
was done in 1891, when Internal Rev
enue Collectors Scott and Feland and
three subordinates of Kentucky were
convicted. Another case of the kind
was that of Postmaster Ockes of New
ark, Ohio, who was indicted, tried and
fined $500 in 1892 for making political
assessments. AT Port Huron, Mich,
in 1897, Deputy Collectors William
Spring and John Tierney were remov-
ed from the service and fines imposed
for violations Of the law.
The attitude of the civil service COM
mission is stated in an interview in
Washington with one of the members
as follows:
can employee who contributes money
to any committee or organization OF
which federal official may be a mem
Der, commits an offense, and is liable
to the penalties provided by law. So
Letting political contributions in Il
government building, whether done by
federal officers OR others, constitutes a
violation of the statute. Whether Mr.
Spence addressed his letters to the
homes of the Iowans or the bureaus
in which they are employed is not yet
known. If the letters were directed
to the offices of those called upon to
contribute, the case is on all tours with
previous decisions of the commission,
which has held that such acts are cons
trary to the laws"