Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-10-12
APPOINTMENT CLERK HIGGINS.
some Gossip and Facts About the Great
RefOrmer.


Reformer.
WASHINGTON, Oct. IO.-When Col. La
mont went fishing last summer, saws a
letter to the Philadelphia Record, he
hunted out 8 trout pond far in the heart
OF the woods, a dozen miles from any
where. An old miller kept the pond as u
sort of private preserve, and it was full of
snags and stumps and suckers as well as
few trout. 1t is needless TO say that
Col. Lamont caught the trout. In
some way or other the miller
found out that this successful fish
erman was from Washington, where
upon he pumped at him the startling
question: "Well, how is Higgins getting
on?" l take it from all that / hear that a
great many people much nearer civihza-
tiOn than this backwOodsman are asking
the same question, it might he said in re-
Spouse that, like the immortal MIR.
Riley" who kept the hotel" Heaven
serves him quite kindly, he's doing right
well.' But this would be very general.
The fact is that Mr. Higgins has made so
far the best record that ever was made in
his Office. l do not like spOismen, but |
I believe in giving even the spoils-
man his due. Higgins, the pollti-
clan, may be all the wicked things
3
appointment clerk, il model official
] This is simply just. The Office Of appoInt.
ment clerk in great department like
( that OF the treasury, is a most responsible
/ one. Under former administrations, par
I ticularly under that of Secretary Folger,
the appointment clerk OF the treasury was
| practically the appointing power. Secre-
! tary FOlger had all he could do In irving
n his slow Judicial way, TO keep the run
u tho routine business Of his office. lie
was very glad 70 turn the endless bother
OF removals and appointments over TO the
/ bright young Brooklyn lawyer, whom he
had made appointment clerk. The latter
/ lived practically at the SeCretary's house /;
! be ate with him, walked with HIM. rode
with him he knew his general principles
[ as well as be did himself. SO it was very
easy for him TO 20 on making removals
and appointments right through Folger's
: administration, without troubling the
/ Secretary for anything more than mere
] formal approval now and then. You may
/ imagine that that appointment clerks
/ morning receptions were as crowded as
those of the President, and that
| he had as many callers from the
two Houses Of Congress. This was "A
! very abnormal and improper condition
of affairs. The Secretary OF the Treasury
must be held responsible for all treasury
( appointments. For this reason, If for no
other, he ought to make them. IL is I'M
/ necessary 10 say that under the present
/ vigorous administration Of the Treasury
/ Department he does. The appointment
/ clerk no longer appoints. Nevertheless
his Office is still a very important one.
All applications for treasury Offices are
/ filed there; all charges against incum-
henis go there; all the papers
/ IN every case Of removal or APP
/ pointment originate there. Every let
ter on the subject Of the Offices which
! goes out 0f the Treasury Department
bears, whatever other signature may be
ON II, the mystic initials ~. H." These
! letters do not stand as some grim spOils-
men think, for Every Head, J." even n they
are In blOod-colored ink, but for Eugene
/ Higgins" and they show that The letters
were originally drafted in his Office.
| Every day the secretary summons the
Appointment Clerk to his Office. Some
days he summons him dozen times. At
these conferences the Secretary tells on
to the appointment Clerk the gentlemen
who are TO be beheaded. ThereupOn the
Lord High ExecuuOner OF the Treasury
draws his snickersnee and makes short
work Of them. Then the names Of the
lucky successors must be placed in COM
] missions and the other blanks in those
documents filled up. In the Office OF the
| Appointment Clerk, too, are the records
I and the recommendation OF all the EN-
/ plOyes Of the Department, small and
I great, since ~ was Department. You
/ can see even from this hasty. summary
that this must be a large and busy office.
} IL Is. IL Is AZ the extreme southwestern