The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1916-04-07
Commissioner Of Internal Rev
enue Issues Circular Quoting
"a Law Against II
LOCAL COLLECTOR MAKES
PUBLIC STRINGENT ORDERS
Any Political Work Done BY En-
pIoyes' viii Be At Own
., Risk

The commissioner Of internal rev
enue, W. II. Osborn, intends putting
the stop to any political activity on the
part Of his subordinates before it be
gins. That is the way John f. Haley.
collector Of Internal revenue for the
Hawaii district, described the action
of the commissioner in sending out a
circular letter to all government en-
ployes under him drawing to their at
tention the law in the case, and warn,
ing them that any political work done
by them for themselves or for another,
would be done cat their own risk. i"
The circular letter follows:
Are v.olating Law .-
ITO Collectors Of Internal Revenue
and others concerned:
.''lt has come to the GonwIedge of
this Office that some internal revenue
officers and employees are disregarding
section 2 (clause O. Of ."An act to
regulate and improve the civil service
Of the United States" approved Janu-
airy 10, 1888, relating to political ac-
tivity-- ...
81. By owning, editing, or manag-
ing political publications,
"2. By becoming candidates for po
litical Offices while employed in the In
ternal Revenue Service.
"3. BY accepting or holding posi-.
tons on political committees.
ga pv holHinu nnI;k;aol
which they were appointed or elected
prior to or since their employment in
the Internal Revenue Service.
1.-THE law referred to is as follows:
"'Sixth. That no person in said ser
vice has any right to use his Official
authority or influence to coerce the
political action Of any person or body
An Employees Included
In, view of this information, and
further in view of the fact that the
law referred to and the executive or
ders relating TO the same apply to in
cumbents Of unelassitied and excepted
positions as we'll as to those holding
competitive positions, the attention Of
collectors and other officers Is invited
TO the following warning issued by
ItBlNtuI SlbNtluHU udJe
IA, 1880: .r
81 deem this a proper time to es.
Pecially warn all subordinates in the
several Departments and all officehold-
ers under the General Government
against the use of their official posi-.
tions, in attempt to control political
movements in their localities
"Officeholders are the agents Of the
people. not their masters. Not only il
their time and labor due to the Gov
eminent, but they should scrupulously
| avoid, in their political action as well
as in the. discharge Of their official du.
ties. offending by display of obtrusiye
craftsmanship their neighbors who have
relations with them as public officials
"They should also constantly remem-
Der that their party friends from whom
they have received preferment have
not invested them with the power of
arbitrarily managing their political af
fairs. They have no right as Office
holders to dictate the political action
Of their party associates or to throttle
| freedom of action within party lines
by methods and practises which per
vert every useful and justifable pur-
1 I'Ost VI party OIRdHlLdtOH.
ence of Federal Offiqeholders should not
| be felt in the manipulation of politi-
cal primary meetings and nominating
conventions. The use by these officials
Of their positions to compass their selec-
ton as delegates to political eonven-
tions is indecent and unfair, and pro-
per regard for the proprieties and re-
quirements of official place win also
prevent their assuming the active con-
duct of political campaigns
Warn ng Emphatic -,
Attention is also invited to the
| Executive Order of January II, 1873,
which is in part as follows:
" Persons holding any Federal civil
| Osre by appointment under the Con-
stitution and laws of the United States
will be expected, while holding such
Office. not to accept or hold any Office
under any state or Territorial govern
meMt or under the charter or ordinan-
ces of any municipal corporation; and.
| further that the acceptance or con
tinued holding Of any such State, Ter
ritorial, or municipal office, whether
elective or by appointment, by any
person holding evil Office as aforesaid
under the Government of the United
States. other than judicial Offices un-
der the Constitution of the United
States. will be deemed a vacation of
the Federal office held by such person,
! and will be taken to be and will be
/ treated as resignation by such Fede.
raj officer Of his commission or appoint
ment in the service of the United
States. o..
| THE Offices Of justices of the
peace or notaries public, and of com
missioners to take the acknowledge
ment Of deeds, of bail, or to administer
oaths, shall not he deemed within the
purview Of this order and are excent6d
from its operation, and may be held by
Federal officers.
'Oficers who disregard the law and
the executive orders in this respect vii
do 80 at their own risk. "