| OCR Text |
Show PERNICIOUS PARTISAN ACTIVITY. It is something to note that the old phrase, originating in the Clevoland days, "pernicious politicnl activity," as a bridle upon office-holders has not altogether lost its effect, even though in U'tah the bridlo seems to bo oft. A recent case of discipline for partisan activity in politics is thus reported in tho editorial columns of the New York Evening Post: "Pernicious political activity" has finally tripped Internal Revenue Collector Sanders Sand-ers of Rochester. Once before pernicious political activity led Washington to ask for Sanders's resignation. That was when Governor Ilnghe was making his uphill fight against Insurance Superintendent .Kelsey. The White House, unable to resist re-sist the sight of virtue hard pressed by evil, put Its foot right down for the civil service Idea and asked Sanders to get out. because h lined up with KelFey against the Governor. And at the Fame lime the warning came that a similar rod' was In pickle for all who were opposed op-posed to Governor Hughes how dear the Governor's cause wan to the Presidential heart every one knew. Mr. Hughes, strangely enough, refused to selr.o tho big stick which wns so suddenly thrust Into his hands. Had he chosen, he might havo easily won his flght by a few deft removals re-movals and alliances on his own account. ac-count. He did not choose to. Did a. letter go from Albany to Washington accompanying accom-panying one big stick returned with thanks? Did no letter go? In any case, Mr. Sanders retained his position, and the Governor branded himself as ungrateful. And now Sanders is removed after all. Can It be that some other renson than hostility to Hughes lias mado him unacceptable unac-ceptable In higher quarters? From thi6 it would appear that there i3 no objection to pernicious political activity, unless that activity is exercised exer-cised in a way not pointed out by 'he "big stick." There was no objection, for instance, to the partisan Federal ; onicc-holders' activity which led to the packing of the National Republican convention with Federal oflice-holders and the delegates selected by Federal oflice-holders in tho various States to that convention; this so long as that activity was exercised in behalf of Mr. Taft. In tho cape cited by our New York contemporary, it appears that tho case of Internal Revenue Collector Sanders hung in the balance during the period when the President wns eonsid-, ering -the question whether ho ought to havo Hughes renominated for Governor in New York or not. If the President had, decided against Hughes, it may fairly bo inferred that Sanders would not have lost his place; 'because in that case Sanders would have been acting iu accord with tho desiro of tho President. Presi-dent. But sinco tho President has decided de-cided in favor of Hughes's renoniina-tion, renoniina-tion, and since Sanders was opposing Hughes's policies, Sanders has to go, A valuable lesson is here conveyed to Federal Fed-eral office-holders. That lesson is that pernicious partisan activity is allowed, but it must be exercised only in the direction of the President's desire? And if any Federal onicc-holdcr exercises exer-cises such activity without finding out tho Presidential desire, ho docs ho at his own risk, and is liable to be canned if he is fouud on tho wrong side of the line. This will probably account for the continuanco in oftlco of our own Internal Inter-nal Revenue Collector Callistcr in Utah. There cau be no doubt whatover of the persistent and long-continued partisan activiti' of Internal Revenue Collector Callistcr in politics. Ho haa been immensely im-mensely active in partisan politics over since he obtained tho oflico which he now holds, and, in fact, some time be-fore. be-fore. He has never at any time taken seriously the rule that Federal officeholders office-holders must not be. perniciously active in partisan politics, lie evidently re- coivod tho Collcctorship in tho first placo that ho might bo activo, providod ha was activo in tho "right way." Ho lias, therefore, in his activity takon pains to havo his aims coincide with tho desires of tho President, and so is safe. All of which gives tho people to understand un-derstand that there is a good deal of difference between tweedledum and twcdledee, and that the man who will play twecdlcdoo when ho ought to play twecdleduiu is so obviously guilty that ho must bo fired. Whereas, if he takes pains to play tweedledum when tweedledum twee-dledum is tho kcynoto sounded in tho AVhite House, ho is all right. A thorough thor-ough comprehension of the civil scrvico rules and of tho inhibition against pernicious per-nicious political activity, thus interpreted, inter-preted, is a vnluablo asset to any Federal Fed-eral ofitco-holdcr who doos not wish to loso his grip cither on politics or ou office. |
