New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-06-16
Il PRESIDENT OF OFFICE SEEKERS.

TIE EXECUTIVES MAIN BUSINESS TO ATTEND TO
THEM-HIs TIME TAKEN FROM OTHER DUTIES
I RADICAL ERRORS OF THE ABUSES.
IFROM REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRrBUSE.l
WAsHINGToS, June 13.-A few visits to the White
House Will suggest to any observing person that
there ought to be some change made in our system
of government that would relieve the President of
a considerable part Of the enormous pressure from
oice-seekers which he now has to endure Az the
head Of the nation he ought to have leisure con-
slider with deliberation important public affairs, to
read the leading journals of the country and TO con-
suit with men of thought and Judgment. Instead
custom and law combine to make him a
dispenser of offices. Every morning a crowd Of en-
ger place-hunters invade the Executive Mansion.
They are nervous, restless, and hungry-eyed. They
want anything and everything, from petty post
Offices and clerkships up to foreign missions. One
by ono they urge their claims and make their
treaties. until the best part of the day is The
President does not then have rest from mpOrtuni-
ties, for this morning crowd is only the mscellane
Gus thrOng who can be got rid of with n few words
to each. People of more consequence, who have APP
pointments TO urge that must be given serious con-
sideration. assigned interviews in the evening
and the President is often engaged until past mid
night determining the relative merits of candidates
for post-oflice i'll Maine dictatorship in Illinois,
or a marshalshp in Texas. Except the short time
taken by Cabinet meetings. and now and then an
hour when he slips away for a drive, the whole Of
the Presidents waking hours practically devoted
to the business of distributing Offices He may wish
to give some thought and reading to the serious
economic question before the public, or to get
information by study and conversation about other
matters of great national importance upon which he
WILDE expected to make recommendations to Con-
gress. but he cannot find the time The ofice-seeker
he has always with him. Early and late in season
and out of season, be finds him at his elbow hears
him clamoring for admittance at his door.
The fault lies primarily with the laws which
make it the duty of tho President to appoint at least
ten times many civil officers as he ought to be
burdened with attending to. here il no good rea-
son why he should have to nominate postmasters III
towns of two three thousand inhabitants, or, for
that matter in towns of any size. The Postmaster
General if he is fit for his place, is better judge of
the competency of men for Office in his appointment
than the President can possibly be- Why should he
not appoint all his subordlnates Again, why
should the President be required to select men for
internal revenue and custon-house positions 7 The
Secretary of the Treasury onght to be the final
authority in such matters. But the President is not
even allowed to get off with performing the duties
in tins matter of appointment which the statutes
place upon hin, but he constantly badgered by
persons who want him T. int rfere in their behalf
with the heads of departments. Men and women
seeking petty offices. hoping to be restored to
places they have lost make mp large part of the
daily White House crowd. The Secretaries have
proved obdurate to their appeals and they carry
their pleas to the highest authority.
Nor is this all. Even congressman, who ought to
know better, frequently beg the President to inter
cede with Of his Secretaries to appoint or retain
some constituent. The remedy can only come by u
change of law and custom. More Responsibility
should be pat upon The heads of the Executive De
partmcntS; only the DUTY Of filing the most lmpor-
taut Offices should be imposed Oh the President. and
acehuntcrs should be taught that he is not bound
10 devote the best part of his time and energies to
their affairs. The Chief Executive should be the
President of the United States instead of the Pres-
dent Of the ofce-seekers. He has been more the
latter than the former for the past 30 or /" years