The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1906-11-11
POLITICIANS TO
GATHER TO GOSSIP
CONGRESSMEN WILL SOON BE
POURING INTO WASHINGTON
TO TALK TT OVER.
"PERNICIOUS ACTIVITY"
Scares OFF Great Deal of Interest in
Elections--Cabnet Officers
Lead Fights But Employees
Must Keep Mum.

Washington, y, G., Nov Within
another week congressman will be com
ing into Wa hington to make heir
preparations for the winter. and to
goss over the results Of the election,
ana the influence these results will
have on the action of congress at the
coming session and on the choice of 4
president two years hence. Politicians
have learned long ago that elections
may 80 one way in an off year ana
another way when the people come to
he selection of a new administration
Of federal affairs Snce 1894 the
tide has been so strong In facOr OF
Republican policies at all elections
that the leaders ofthe party apear TO
believe that substantial rcyerses are
far In the future, but in America cleo
tions are very uncertain thiggs, even
whein the sun shines brightest Wash
I ington never has been a poIit cal ba-
4 romcter and, in the very nature Of
things. can not be yet nowhere in the
country are elections watched with
1 more interest. In the days before the
4 civil service regime everybody in this
. city was a politician, because he Sc
cured his place ana retained or lost
. it as the party tide obbed up or down
1t is somewhat different now, for
. hundreds OF those in government EN-
( ploy are afraid to display much inter
est for fear 1t Will act aganst them
| Ef Of ,;1;y
| activity" and hundreds OF others act
/ ually do not care how elections go, for
- they really have no political prefer
ences. There was a time when it was
| almost universally held that a man
| could not be good and patriotic ci
iezn unless he took a deep and abid-
ing interest in the political affairs Of
the country, and there is danger that
as We gel away from this idea we viii |
lose III the strength of character of onr /
people, and in love for our institutions |
BE this as il may the departmental
atmosphere in Washington is not con |
duciye to strenuous political activity |
Pernciogs Activity /
II was Cleveland and his first post /
master general, Villas, who made the /
term pernicious activity not only |
famous bat formidable Civil Ser
vice Reform was then in its infancy
just trying to thr0y off its swaddling
clothes, but if had not taken a very
strong hold on the people, being look
ed upon as a sort of a fad for the
amusement Of cranks who had been
disappointed in getting the places they
desired 1t was just strong eonugA,
howeye. to keep Cleveland from go
ing openly against the current yet
his party was very hungry, his party
followers had long been kept at
distance from the Government crib
and they longed to partake once more
of The federal flesh pots to a way had
to be found by which, with some +
show of bowling to the civil service
creed, TO &c. Republicans out and
Democrats in. Under these circum
stances some one discovered that hap
| py phrase, 'peruicious activity II !
served the purpose very we'll like
The phra discovered by Ben Butler.
when the government was anxious to
find some way 10y which slaves could
be freed without appearing to DO So.
ndcr tais term "pernicious activity" /
Republicans we're let out because
their activity, and Democrats put in
ON account of their activity.
"Pernicious activity has had its
influence in closing The mouths Of gov
|erHment employees. and almost any
ind of political activity has been
|classed as "pernicicus" by those who
have desired to make political nonen-
titles of every one in the government
service. So Of late years it has been
|hard 10 discover government clerk
n Washington brave enough 20 openly
announce his preference for any party n
c is rue that a large number annual a
Y 90 home TO vote but they DO " 7
without announcing beforehand their 4
party preferences. While the clamp Il
has been put upon The employees and II
he under officer. there has never n
|Deen an election where the cabinet
pas displayed so much activity. Every
|abi1et officer who can make a speech
fi' u Ati 'iiN 81 y lAIH anu ~ i'ttf''
lnc speech was dictated by he pres
|dent. J. is not every one who holds
+ cabinet position that can make q Q
political speech but they can do effec-
i've political work I'm other directions
nj 1t is quietly claimed that a recent
-isit 10 New York Of Postmaster Gen
raj COTtelyou had very decisive in
|iuence on the campaigr. The ques- .
ion naturally comes up why if il is =
light and proper for a cabinet officer "
o lake a very active part in political =
campaigns that IL is wrlng for a su- s
-- b
(Conclud-d on Fifth Page) -