The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-10-07
Movement is Direct Viola.
ton of Spirit of the
Law. ALL
.gi2T.v-s, ,.
MUCH MONEY N sight l|H||'I!
Men Who Devised Scheme
Know How Morally
Wrong 1t Is. N

Especial Dispatch to West virginfah)
NEW YORK. October 7-Carefuliy
laid plans OF the National Democratic
Executive committee to extort q cam
paign fund Of several millions from
federal Office holders in violation Of
the spirit Of the criminal code and Of
the civil service set were disclosed al
Republican national headquarters to-
day. The plans purpose the raising
OF this huge fund for the reelection Of
President Wilson. The trainers OF the
plan are perfectly aware Of the fact
that they are skating on very thin Ice
and have striven to direct the proceed.
ure OF their subordinates 80 a., 70
enable them to effect a substantial
violation OF the law without being
caught. The men who are endeayorinE
to put the plans in operation boldly
confess to the subordinates upon whom
they rely for the actual strongarm
work. that they are deliberately seek
ing TO evade the statutory provisions
to which. III public and for the purposss
es OF campaign argument only, they
make such profuse profession OF de-
votion. : -; "a
The first drive OF the cash collectors
FOR the Democratic committee Is aim.
Cd at postmasters, but 1t is specihcal.
ly'set forth that all other Federal m.
pointees as we'll are expected to CON.
tribute t othe Wilson campaign fund.
The.amount-ees the levy uporfs thefnAiI.
ten per cent OF one years salary. , e
The post Office appropriation hin
approvd by the president July 2s last.
carries an item 'for compensation n,
postmasters $31, 000,000".f the Demo
cratic bagmen are only, reasbnablysstic,
cessful in holding up postmastersi TheyF
can expect to accumulate. q fund OF
many hundreds of thousands Of 1dois
lars, II not millions. from postmasters.
alone. And this takes no account Of
the many thousands Of other federal
appointees whom these. plans OF the
Democratic campaign committee make;
specifically subject to the visit OF fthe
bagman. s5sr's &
The Democratic trainers of these
plans for extorting the Wilson CAIN.
paign funds from federal office hold
ers understand exactly the very delft.
cate legal situation Of their scheme.
They are careful to set forth IN the
instructions to the strongarm squad
the fact that "of course this, is not COM
pulsory" obviously meaning that til
not legally compulsory, but they pro.
coed to state that they are informed
that there Is to be permanent or.
"of our force throughouta
the country" this permanent organizasl
ton is to keep tabs on the federal
office holders. A record Is to be made
OF the loyalty" Of those appointeess
who contribute and Of the "disloyaltyh
OF those federal office holders who de-:
cline to contribute to the Wilson cam.
paign fund. OF course there Il no,
compulsion about proposition like
this. This merely notifies federal Of,
flee holders on the authority or the
national Democratic executive COM
mittee. that IL they do not "contributen
ten per cent Of years salary to the.
Wilson campaign fund they will be-
marked down by the Wilson spermas
rent organization as dlsloyal.
me instructions to the strongarm
squad go ahead to point out that Il 81
In violation Of the civil service law, to
write letter to postmaster demand.
ing money for campaign purposes or
to call upon the postmasters In the
postoffice and ask for a subscription
to the campaign fund. The strong
arm squad are directed, therefore. to (
avoid writing to federal appointees or j
calling upon them in their offices.
but are advised to seek private an.
pointments with the federal office hold
er sto find them at their home or 10
catch them when they are Temporal
lily off the job. 81 ~
With this explanation of the legal
difficulties in their way the strongarhn
squad are admonished to proceed in.a
telligently along these Ines and to
contrive 'in a legal way" to solicit
the federal office holders.
Section 118 Of the United States
code. which embodies section
IL Of the Civil Service Act, deals with
another phase Of 1t. II is this latter
section to which the trainers OF the
Democratic extortion scheme specif.
ically refer In their instructions to-
the strong arm squad. 4
e. Sections 120 and 121 OF the United
States Criminal code which embody
sections 13 and IA of the civil service
act. refer to other phases Of the mat.
ter. SSS,p 8
1t is Obvious that the men who deyel.P
oped the scheme for the National DEM
ocratic executive committee, and who
are endeavoring to operate Il, had !
these provisions Of the law in mind.
and have sought deliberately to ind
the technical loophole which VIII ena.
BILE them to contravene the spirit, and
the purpose Of the statute and yet es.s
cape the punishment Of q five thous.
and dollar fine or q three year !tmpfii.