Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-01-14

WAY s 1: = ] 10 n IER A,TEDI',
Postmaster at Wesley, Whose Name
Was on Letter Head Used by Spence
!. ExpIalns- Investigation at Three
Cities Finds No lnfraction o. Law.

vice commission after investigation
mas pronounced the campaign contribu-
ton case against State Chairman
Spence "a closed incident Virtually
the case is dropped, although this was
not done without some interesting cor
respondence between the commission
and Mr.. Spence.
The case was brought to the COM
MISSIONS attention originally by j. j..
Bolton, surveyor of customs at Sioux
City. Officer Of the Commission Ever
ett Partridge was sent to investigate
charges.
The Investigation.
An investigation was conducted at
Sioux City, Atlantic and Des Moines,
but no violation of section 12 of the
civil service law disclosed. This sec
ton prohibits soliciting a campaign
contribution in a federal building, but
It was not disclosed In the examina-
tion Of many witnesses that any Of the
letters were addressed to federal
buildings In which officials were en-
ployed. At Des Moines Postmaster
Mckay and nearly every person in the
federal building said to the best of
their knowledge they had received Mr..
| Spence's circulars at home. In the
pension Office M M. Robertson, G. B.
| Marine and L. M Garrett said they had
received Circulars but thought they
were addressed to their homes. When
the officers of the committee inquired,
they said they could not find circulars
and did not contribute. The commits.
Esion, however, was inclined to pusa
4 the case because on the letter head
;s6ntt :1)ds by Mr.. Spence the narne. OF
s. x. Way, postmaster at Wesley ap
peared.
Under section Il of the civil service
a federal official is prohibited from so
liciting campaign funds from other
federal officials
Way Is Exonerated.
Mr.. Spence advised the commission
that the contributions were solicited
without Mr. Ways knowledge as he
i took no active part in the campaign
Mr.. Way testified similarly. However
In a letter Of September %, 1902, the
civil service commission had warned
Mr.. Spence that the law was violated
by sending out circulars with the
name Of Mr.. Way, postmaster, thereon
AS Mr.. Way appeared innocent of In
territorial wrong doing. and Mr.. Spence
! in a long letter of explanation, which
the commission called for, defended
his course, the commission con
cluded the matter by warn
ing Mr.. Way that the appear
ance Of his name again under like cir
cumstances on such circulars would
cause the complaint to be laid before
the department of justice. A copy o1
this letter was sent Mr.. Spence and or
his explanation of his course the com
mission closed the incident, calling his
attention to the opinions of the attor
ney general on the far reaching law as
to soliciting campaign funds from fed
eral employees in the classified service
infringement Not Intentional.
In the course Of his explanation tt
the commission, Mr.. Spence says he IL
in entire sympathy with the purpose O
the civil service act and never con
/ sciously infringed on any Of its provi
/ sions." He says further he had for
4 gotten the admonishing given in 100:
in SO far as 1t related to using lettel
4 heads with Mr.. Ways name thereon
4 In letter to the commission, after be
Ing warned what would happen OF
i further offense, Mr.. Way inquired wha
i defense he will have If letter heads
bearing his name are sent out withou
/ his knowledge.
! He says there is considerable fac
tional feeling" in the state, and, Will,
he does not look for it, 1t is possibl,
such a thing might be done withou
his knowledge with purpose to harm
him. The reply of General Black, al
head of the commission, is that in cas-
he could show this done without hi
knowledge he would be relieved from
blame.