The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-09-15
CHANGE THE LAW
TO APPLY TO !. ALL |! |. |.
Effort, to So Amend Civil Service
Statute as to Prohibit Call for
Campaign Assessments.
.EvA .l:'I B, BY THE s !. !, \ $
Congressman Could Not Make
Levy, But When Son Became !
Chairman, He Could.

ASSND > ~ y - -.
Chairman, He Could.
ORION our Regular Corrcspondent0
f sWASH1NGTON,4D D. c., Sept 14.--An cf-
fort will be made ut the session of Con-
gress this winter to secure the passage
of an amendment to the civil service
law which will prohibit any individual
seeking to obtain from any government
official or cmploye contribution for po-
illticnl purposes. The law at present pro-
hlbits an official or cmploye Decking u
contribution or making political as
easement upon any other official or en-
ploye. a politician not In the employ
or the government Is not amcnablc TO
tho fnc and imprisonment with which
an official would be punished, were nc 70
do the same thing @ 3
The need Of such n law Is SO nppar-
ent that many members Of Congress
will support the amendment with enthu-
siasm. The levyinE Of political assess
mcrts Is as common as ever 1t was,
even in the old days, when civil SER
vice reform was only the fad Of doc
trnaries, and the spoils system was uni,
vcrsnlly recognized. In the old days
the man who did not respond when call
cd on for funds would lose his place so
quickly 1t would be some time before
he recovered his equilibrium. Indeed,
these levyinE letters usually contained
an open threat, but II they did not, It
was perfectly Understood that II the
assessment was not paid by the office
holder importuned, he had as well re-
sign. I'll
The situation Is much the same to-day.
The acgis of the civil service law is
supposed to protect appofntecs holding
under that statute, but there arc many
ways Of choking n dog. The man who
does not contribute to his party's nc
ccsslties when requested is mighty apt
His dismissal is charged to "for the good
Of the service
Got Young Slemp In.
Representative slcmp would have been
Indicted had he written to Federal Of
<nceholders in Virginia asking them to
contribute to the party's campaign fund.
Mr. Slemp was in quandary. He was
in sore need Of money. The law was
embarrassing Funds were needed to car
ry on the State campaign in Virginia.
Besides, their was lack of money with
which to pay caDitation taxes in the
ninth district. 1t was too heavy drain.
upon him to have these taxes to pay
two years In succession. The national
chairman, If all reports be true. was
not as generous in his donations this
year as he was last when the ninth
district was flooded with Republican
money. SO. Mr. slemp and his friends
went to work on Park Agnew, the State
chairman, and collector of internal revc-.
nue tor the sixth revenue district. Mr.
Agncw, who Is one of the cleanest as
we'll, as one Of the best fellows in the
Republican organization in Virginia. was
assured that he could not hold the po-
sition OF State chairman and collector
at the same time. "Al right" said Mr.,
Agnew; SRI just resign the chairman
ship He did SO, and Mr.. Slemp had
his son made chairman. Had some Re-
to the Craftsmanship, too much Of the
money raised might have been distrib-
uted In other than the ninth district.
Having got Mr. Agnew out of the chair
manshfp. the Slemps then set 10 work
deliberately and with care to work him
out Of the colectorship. Agnew had a
good record as an official But the awful.
charge was made against him by the
SlemPs that he had failed to deliver the
vote" TO Roosevelt that vas expected
OF him. lie lost his place. and the Presi-
haShs t'pf'ihNES Viz aClOScSl IElcnQ or Coll
Slemp, Mr.. L. p. Summers, of Abingdon.
Agnew was out of chairmanship and
collectorship. And, of course, he went
directly TO the Slemps and thanked them
for. having relieved him SO .effectuallyl
or all public burdens. and allowed him
to retire to private life, where he has
achieved the. distinction OF being the Oh
seurest man In the Republican party in
Virginia. Small wonder is there that Mr..
Agnew loves Colonel Slemp and son with
a love that Is most uncommon. ="
Power Behind the Throne.
Ing to show how Representative Semp
was violating. the Federal statute against
levylng political assessments and with
absolute impunity and lnauunity. Bascom
tiers that went to Federal officials in
Virginia, calling on them to contribute
{ to their party's needs. Colonel semp
could not make an assessment himself
iadjutant. And every man who received
such n letter knew that all the power
welded BY the one Republican represen-
BIO used to make him lose his JOB unless
he gave up his money cheerfully and to
the uttermost. Even women In Federal
offices In Virginia have received these
l'eyXn r letters tiers One Of them expressed
to whether she would make a contribu-
ton to the Slemps, declaring she was
not able to give up five per cent, Of her
salary, the amount demanded, n do not
know whether, she decided to contribute
to get these days as to be lightly risked.
No Case Like This,
VlrgInia.is not the only State in which
the Republicans have harried office
holders, supposed to BIO under the pro-
lection Of the civil service law. The
practice has given Democrats trouble MI
over the country In every national cam
pa!gn, But II Is said that there has
boss holding Federal position ms Mr..
slemp does, and and. therefore prohibited
ting his lis som Or even a more remoitely
connected member o. his family, into
pose OF having him do that thing which
the law forbade the fathers doing. The
letter Of the law barely ESCAPES viola
lion; tho spirit Is utterly broken.
Whether the amendment to he law Is
secured or not. all fair-mlnded, dlspns-4
slonate men will see the need or It.. The
trouble Is that the Repuhi can l ~
Ing the law as II Is, so that leyiies may
.Nn,yE. q