The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1883-02-11
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
WASHINGTON, ID, c., DpCpmber II ny


Miss -: | promised you last spring that 1
would advise you OF the fact when desired your place
for one of my people In compliance with that pro-
mise now respectfully notify you that shall lake
STEPS 10 have You removed rs a representative from
my district. Very truly, etc,
! This Is the frank letter OF a frank man who was
serving his first term as a member of the House of
Representatives.; he IS now October, 1882 cand
for third term. The letter was written to a woman
clerk In one of the most important bureaus of the
treasury Department. The chief of the bureau
said that she was one of the st clerks he had. SHE
was not removed because the heads of the bureau and
division In which she still serves ala not hermit II
They knew her value aud fortunately, the Congress-
man had not then obtained power enough to do as he
desired without regard TO the wishes of the Treasury
officers.
The letter shows how completely members of Com
gress arc possessed of the belief they have the ap.
pointing power. IL Is not exceptional doctrine that
ms frank writer advances. lt is held by almost all
of his colleagues in the legislative branch of the Gov
ernment, and the Executive himself submits to 1t,
cept when lie has friends to reward or, rather when
he has no enemies To punis tits the exception when
the President insists on his right To appoint
move Government employees as he may de-
sire, and without regard members of
Congress. Generally, when he asserts himself the
to deserve Executive wrath. Congressman look
upon the cerkships Of the Government as belong
Ing to them each one having certain allotment to be
distributed among the influential needy of his cOnstit
uens. The member who wrote the letter Jumped
over one step in the process of renovnga clerk Which
The opera bouife decorum prevailing In Washington
makes essential. Probably he would not now he
guilty OF such an indiscreon to write directly TO
clerk, ordering the dismissal of who Is
another person subordinate He knew the accepted
theory which has for Its support law portion Ing OUT
the clerkshlDs OF the Treasury Department among the
several States, but he was too in Congress to
realize that there are appearances to be kept up His
open ayowal of his purpose to do what he would with
his own great mistake. II he had begun his
work privately with the Assistant Secretary or
his appointment clerk the chances that he would
have succeeded. The heads of the Department un-
dOnbtehly recognized that he attempting to do
only what he had right TO do, but they cOuId not
consent to be accomplices to his blunt way going to
work.
Tho Interest taken by Congressman In securing an
pOintnens for constituents appears he looked upon
AS something extraordinary. 1t Is not extraordinary
however; IL Is perfectly natural employment for good
many OF the men who are made members OF the House
of Representatives. The members themselves are the
creatures OF the Spoils system, and their political
vision Is bounded by It, They know of no way To keen
political party in existence except by the dstribu
tiOn of cerGShips. ! have known three Con-
gressmen to devote half a day to urging
the head OF bureau to remove Democrat
from an unimportant place and to appoint Repnb-
iican III his stead. The place paid the man who filed
1t about nifty cents a day. This undoubtedly seems
waste of time TO the business men OF our great
cities. 1t was not; If these congressman had not
been giving their energies to this lfty-cept place
they might have been seeking the Removal of some
Tealy M Competent nerson from an important position
III tue Government service After one OF this class
of Congressman has done asking for places and pen
si0ns, and attending to private claims, aud getting
his districts streams into the River ana Harbor ii
he has nothing TO do. The real evil of our present
civil Service In this respect, Is that such Con-
gIessmen prevented from attending to more i'm
porant duties but that the Spoils system finds mis-
chieyous employment for men who ought not to be
members OF Congrsss, rwho being members ought
to have nothing to do. Good men, OF course,
are hanpered by the system, and lose
time that Is important to them and 10
their constituents by OF the demands made by
people who are in search OF places for themselves or
for friends of " the party Good men, however
are, as rule, In favor OF reform OF the civil Service
thai shall take appointments and removals, and all
tho clerical machinery Of the Government, out OF
politics.
Although, as the letter printed at the beginning of
ms article Indicates, congressman regard clerical
positions as their property they do no consider
themselves the solo or tile absolute owners. The real
proprietor Is the party. The leading purpose moving
members OF Congress in appointing persons places
IS TO beheht the political organization which they
belong, and to which they indebted for their
election. lhey are simply trustees for their espect
I've factions. Their appointments aud removals are
made for the purpose OF strengthening the party AS
they must necessarily be tho ultimate Judges of what
VIII beneht the party, however, they generally decide
IN hVor OF what VIII help themselves. They are in
a word, permitted some latitude In making their
selections Of persons, provided that Ia the main,
thoy consider the interests OF the party How far re-
moved this new theory is from the old fashioned
doctrine mat the Government Is TO be administered
Tor the good 1i tie whole country, and that member
OF the minority party Is much Interested In the
Government rs one Of the majority. II is unnecessary
tO discuss, -