, 1869-03-01
APPL1CArIoHs ROE OFFICE,

be active in and around Chicago about
tbe1e days, but they are dull and torpid
in comparison to the activity OF Office
seekers in obtaining petitions and recon-
meuCations for place under the incoming
administration. Every citizen whose
nsme is supposed to carry with it the
least weight or influence with General
Grant, or probable Secretary, or with
Senator or member Of Congress. Is i'm
portuned for his name to a petition set
t,rg forth the special or wonderful
"c'aims" and msrits of the modest app.i-
cant. Any man who Is supposed to be
en- stesking terms with General Grant
haa about ali the business he can well
ateLd to in writing letters Of recon-
mendatIon for of11ce-huntipg acqusinl-
ances. Editors OF leading Re-
publican papers are probably pes
tered more LOT signatures and
letters than any other class Of citizens,
aud to refuse Is 10 give offence. Some meu,
whose "ipdueuce is in demand. make Il
q rule to sign all petitions and others to
sign none. The first belong to the affab!t
aid the latter to the cynical SET. Ont
OF the former, an influential. citizea
ssid to US yesterday, as be laid down hi
.. pen at,er "signlng" Tor s1me on e
, "There, that makes sixteen petitions 10
the same Office I have signed since tn
:. | first Of the month" "How is Genera
> Grant to know which OF them you 1eall.
= think ought to have The oAcss" We asked
: ale will not have time to look at name
;, .on petitions; and If he happens TO Sc
,. my name on several applications for til
- same Office, he will let the name on on
: paper cffset that on another, whlc
:. leaves him entirely unbiased and pc
- fectly free to choose for hiGeclf The or
:, he believes best qualified and M
- hores'." ..........
" General Grant knows how nsmes At
- Recommendations are procured By oM
.o hunters, and will let Strings OF sign
~. &u1es to petitions have precious little !
- nueuce with him in determining Il
es choice Of his subordinates, In illus :
~ ton Of this matter, read the folloWt
A taken from the proceedings Of the 1lltn'
~ Stnase. On Saturday;
"se1 s1or Font stated today that he had sfRl
ne over fteo hundFtd r comnenaat1ooa os app1ea 4
he esssiaI seta,of Fuller hoped not. II Gem
al @ Ssss ae ~ would zot at,seh murh smpott.n-e
Dor them. 4 Recommendation IL proposed atd Rtl
70 cns of tie PIES, who pissetH = asoaad among
pss,1an Recommending SONS one Tor the plsc
ye1 psrrn The other oay, tn the uody Of *heh VA.
,ue s..ed aeela;.on ~ r. ~ on:1I , ast of
| 4 IT, kkASfA ma nnAy RI.
'ne pe1ass, md. being presented % III. smith !
IL se.h issa IL hsa.
but istsc smonnt Of inn This i. how these ret
Ing s up a1 Jeh payis 10 IL
l teat IN the CABINET could BE- circulated here.
for Ss ,ee, S1 e'sa ~ ennsen,. h. b
the ctsnoykrrd."
to The point Of the joke on p1rt1y 81
II 10 is that he is an incorriglble wag him
2m- and has got of more sells" on
,ra- brother members than any msn In
va,e House. It WAS Smith who drew the
1ind and had 1t parsed one Saturday whef
and the Cock County members had ;
ever h. me, to cede Cook Coun:y 10 ths s
nsv OF IGdlsna, and which act WAS
Of eraphed all over the country by the
d in eociated Pftss, hno causea pfolouna
,ther tontshrens IN thc Esst aa SaGso'
,y of extravsgant Joy in sll Hoosicrdam-
1ere- believe 1t was one Of the Cook c.
.nses mtmhtts who tnterpolalea the con1
, the in the petition 10 "hspg Smsih, OF
State L*an," and which request the i
e sup 6Igned half dozen times, not kno
p tails that Re wss petilioDlDG 10 place bill
sane, beyond the reach Of Gubernatorial c
rwlse ency OF benefis Of clergy. Moral: I
y to lato1s ought to be more careful
new What peuuons theT are signing, an
etorm result would be that fewer unht
crmal would get office, and clever ie
adji- would not be hang ed without fault