The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-02-01
AFTER FEDERAL JOB HOLDERS
Bill Aimed to Eliminate Entirely
Their Political Activity.

Washington, January 2S.-Every
reader who is even passably familiar
with the political "modus operandi'
of the Republican party in the South
ern States, in many of which the G..
O. P. is almost exclusively a federal
ofice-holding affair, can understand
the CONSERVATION and decentralization
which would ensue in the ranks of
Southern Republicanism if Senator
Reed, of Missouri, and Representa-
tive Richardson, of Alabama, should
succeed in getting congress to pass
their interesting little bill introduced
a few days ago, to this effect:
Section /. "Be it enacted by the
senate and house of representatives
that it shall be unlawful for
any person, while holding any ap-
pointive office or receiving salary
or fees under or by appointment of
the president of the United States, or
any officer thereof, to be a member of
the managing or controlling political
committee, either municipal, State,
or national, of any political party, or
to be delegate to or take part in
the proceedings of any political con-
vention at which delegates to any
other political convention are select
ed or candidates for any public Of
fee, either of the United States or
any State, county or municipality,
are nominated. A violation of the
provisions of this section shall ipso
facto work a forfeiture of the office
or position so held, and a vacancy
therein shall be at once created, and
it shall be unlawful for any such
person to thereafter continue to per-
form or attempt to perform any Of
the duties of such Office or position,
or to accept or receive any salary or
fees for service in such office or posi-
ton after the date of the violation
of this act; and any person so contin-
uing to perform or attempting to
perform any of the duties of said Of
flee or position, or receiving and &C
cepting any such salary, fees, or
emolument, shall be deemed guilty
of a misdemeanor, and on indict-
ment and conviction shall be fined
not less than $500, and may be i'm
prisoned for a period of not more
than six months, or both, such fine
and Imprisonment. Any person who
has violated any of the provisions of
this act shall be ineligible to appoint
ment by the president of the United
States, or any department of the
United States, or officer thereof, for
a period of two years after such vio-
lation.
"Section 2. That any officer OF
the United States who shall wilfully
and knowingly certify to, or pay or
cause to be paid, or assist in procur-
ing the payment of any salary, fees,
or emolument to any persons who
shall have forfeited his office or po-'
sition as provided in section l of this
act shall be guilty of misdemean-
or, and shall be punished by fine
of not less than $1,000, or by impris-
onment for not more than six months,
or by both such fine and imprison-
ment.''
AS an example of what such
measure would do if enacted into
law, we have the fact that the ma
jority of the votes cast at the last
meeting of the Republican State COM
mittee of Virginia, held to determine
the time and place of the State Re-
publican convention which will select
the delegates from Virginia to the
national convention, a majority OF
the votes cast came from committee
men anu pIOAy-uOtuCto WIZ 0SNNP'
federal positions from which they
obtain compensation in either sala-
ries or fees. In most of the other
Southern States the situation is
doubtless as bad or worse.
1t has not been forgotten by po-
litical scrap book keepers that Pres
ident Taft himself, before his eleva-
ton to the chief magistracy, told an
audience of Republicans at Green's
boro, N. c., that it would be a great
deal better for the Republican party
in North Carolina if it did not have
a single member holding federal
office. To-day the presidents main
reliance in his fight for denomination
is on these same federal office-hold-
ers whom he said few years ago,
in effect, to be a blight upon the
genuine progress of his party. But
for the administrations grip upon
these Southern federal office-holders,
il is generally admitted that there