Section 17. No officer or employee of the commonwealth or of any county, city or town shall discharge, promote, or degrade an officer or employee, or change his official rank or compensation, or promise or threaten so to do, for giving, withholding or neglecting to make a contribution of money or other valuable thing for a political purpose.
Violation of any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than one thousand dollars.