New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-03
whom he never saw before aud would be glad
never TO see again.

whom he never saw before and would be GLAD
never TO see again.
So far as he is concerned the whole world
seems to be made up of oilceseekers and Office
holders. The friendly word and cordial hand
shake do him no good, for he suspects thai
they are the prelude to a request for favor
heartily expressed approval OF his pOilti'a
policy means nothing to him, for he can never
know that it does not cover up some cunning
plan TO win his favor for selfish purpose lie
must come to the White House with an unusu'
allv large stock of the milk OF human Kindness
in his nature, or he will soon grow morose ana
misanthropic. He cannot shiik the onerous task
of dispensing Offices If he would, for the Con
stitution puts it upon him. Perhaps he Is am
bilious to ircrehse his fame as statesman ny
n study of broad questions of public policy ; but
he cannot find the time, for the oi'ceseekcrs
are ever clamoring at his door. Why does he
not reeutlessly shut them out 7 Because 1t Is his
business to see them, and II he were ulsposeu
to 81 irk it he could hardly do 80. The ch'ei
aud most invetcrate and Imporunate OF all the
ofIiceseekeIs ale the Senators and Members OF
Congress most OF whom are engaged IN ire
less ouest for patronage to distribute among
their constituents. They are a coordinate
branch of the Government, and the President
cannot shut his door in their faces. They come
TO introduce the applicants ana back up thelr
requests, and afterward return again ana again
TO log the Presidents memory and spur mp MS
baltiug PURPOSE, bringing petitions and news
paner extracts for the Executive eye and dele
cations of eminent constituents who veX the
Executive ear with their assertions that the
welfare of the country, OF at least OF the party,
is at stake. For every Office to be filled the
President must see and hear an average OF
probably twenty persons and for every once
that il not to be filled because v Is well hllcd
already he must give audience to as great Il
number.
Something could he done and ought to be
done TO relieve the President IN pant from inns
perpetual raid OF placc-ecktrS. The appoint
ing power for many Ct The subordinate Offices Is
now vested by law in the heads OF Depart
ments. Their functions in this direction could
wisely be enlarged There Is no go' reason
why the President should bc required to decide
between rival candidates for the post-ollcc al
Poduuk, or devote a days precious time to TIE
task of selecting "a man to survey land in Non
tans. He is the Chief Magistrate OF the whole
reoule. of whom the olircholdcrs and Office
seekers are after all but small traction. l"e
vast majority, composed OF those who are pr
waite cIt.zrns and propose to remain such, nave
some clam upon his attention ANA thought. II
is then right that hc should be allowed ample
time to study the questions oi administrator
which alIcc, their Interest,". ! ne work of the
Executive has outsroNn the capacity "i on"
man to perform 1t. Fortunately We have bad
Of late vcars strorG men III the prime 81 HE III
the Executive char. An old man or hN 81
cally feeble man would soon die under the strain
As we can have only one President NJ a time ii
is the evident dGty Of Congress 10 distrhntc a
portion of his cou-tlnly increasing burden
among his Cabinet ADVISERS.