The Washington times., 1920-08-10
US. EMPLOYEES
PLAY POLITICS.
Union Members Facing Charge
!. of Violating Old Civil
4: Service Rules.
CAMPAIGNING Is UNDER BAN
Federal Workers Also Affiliated
/ with A. F. Of L. Making In
|, direct Political Activity.

Federal employees are confronted
with delicate issue" by reason OF
their affiliation with the American
Federation of Labor.
As individuals, they may be free
of any taint of "pernicious political
activity" but as a class and group
they are in politics up to the hilt, SO
far as the members of the Federal
Employees Union and the other or
ganizations Of Government workers
are concerned.
NO RULING AS YET.
The Civil Service Commission has
not yet ruled on the delicate question
r. involved. according to Commissioned
/ Martin A. Morrison, and will not do
so until a specific case arises.
: These facts, however, present what
may become an embarrassing and ex
plosive issue;
The Federal Employees Union. both
directly and indirectly, Is in politics
in the present campaign, and Is sara
to have a "black list" Of Senators and
Congressmen whom 1t Is attempting
to defeat for reelection.
This organization Is tributary 10
the American Federation or L&oor'
which Is extremely active in politics,
Federation campaign.
The legal questions involved VIII
not be settled until some Senator or
CONGRESSMAN on the black list
forces the matter to the attention OF
the Civil Service Commission, or un-
til some individual member OF the
Federal Employees Union. dissenting
from its general political policy, lays
evidence before the commission.
The following are excerpts from
the civil service code:
mo person in the executive civil
service shall use his official authority
or influence for the purpose OF inter-
fering with an election or affecting
the results thereof. Persons who by
the provisions Of these rules are n
the competitive classified service,
while retaining the right to vote a.
they please and to express privately
their opinien on all political subjects.
shall take no. active part In political
MANAGEMENT or in political cam
paigns."
ORIGINAL SERVICE ACT.
The original civil service act con-
'tains the following:
mo person shall. in any room or
building occupied in the discharge OF
official duties by any officer or en-
any manner whatever. or receive any
contribution of money or any thing
of value for any political purpose
Whatsoever"
1t is under the mandate of this last
clause that the Federal Employees
Union has been debarred from hold
ing any meeting in the various de-
partments and Government buildings.
But the main question at 'ssue is
NIL mi m
will be permitted to do as an organ
ization what its individual members
are prohibited from doing today. Can
the classified employees Of the Gov
ernment conduct their political nights
indirectly? This is the big issue re-
latinR to political activity" of Fed
eral employees. and it has not yet been
settled.
APPLIEs TO CONGREssMEN.
The civil service code also pro-
vides:
mo Senator or Congressman shall
directly or indirectly solicit or re-
ceive, or be in any manner con-
cerned In soliciting or receiving any
assessment, subscription, or contribu-
tion for any political purpose what
soever, from any officer, clerk or
employe of the United States, or any
department, branch, or bureau there
OF, or from any person receiving any
salary or compensation from money
derived from the Treasury of the
United States"
The exact dividing line" between
legal and illegal political activity.
so far as the Government clerks are
concerned, probably will be set forth
by official promulgation in the near
future. Officials OF the Civil Service
Commission are not anxious to be
drawn into the matter, but apparent
ly there is no escape for II.