Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-05
IKE PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE.



Once" The address was graphic description
Of the way in which the duties Of that Office
have accumulated since the days of Washing
work Of looking after pardons, signing bills and
making minor appointments would in time
grow to be 80 great that it would be q physical
impossibility for one man to accomplish it.
According to the Constitution, he said:
''The President Of the United States IL moth
ing more than an elective trustee or agent,
chosen by the people to administer certain we'll
defined and specific trusts for them and as their
representative. Our fathers formulated that
portion Of the Constitution which concerned
the presidential Office under a realizing sense Of
the evils they had suffered while subject to the
caPr1ces OF royal ruler, and guarded well
against any assumption Of power or prerogative
by the individual, which could threaten or en-
danger the liberty Of the people.
''The successful administration Of executive
authority up to the present time is due to the
efficient safeguards placed about it by the
trainers Of the Constitution and to the wisdom
and patriotism Of those whom the people have
from time to time invested with the powers of
this great Office. It has worked well for 100 years
in the past, but with the extraordinary growth
OF the country the labors Of the Office have in
creased, and this increase has been in q direc-
ton which could never have been intended by
the founders Of the government and which was
hardly known in the time Of Washington and
his immediate successors.
The most important field Of executive duty.
consists in the direction of those great meas
ures Of foreign and domestic policy which,
either by the general provisions of the Constitu-
ton or by express statutory enactments, are in
trusted to the discretion Of the President. u"
Instead, however, of being thus confined to the
larger and more important fields Of action. the
f{rvNn ~ H.. H. -
is absorbed by certain forms OF detailed ad-
ministrative work, whose importance is entirely
out OF proportion to the emitted character Of
the office. These details include vast
number OF minor appointments to Office;
the hearing and decisions Of appli-
view to approval or disapproval, of numerous
acts Of Congress, many Of them Of extremely
limited scope; the review of the findings of
courts-mnrtial in the army and navy; the super
vision Of the details Of business In the executive
departments, several of whose heads have regu-
ing every week of the year; and, finally, the
duty OF listening to the views Of those best
qualified to advise or best entitled to be heard
in frequent consultation and deliberation upon
all the subjects above mentioned.
''The total number Of appointments to office
made by Washington during the first four
years Of his administration, excluding those
pertaining to the military establishment, did
not exceed 800, and all his civil appointments,
during his terms of office, were not more than
400 in number.
During the same period only fifteen pardous
we're issued by the executive, and but 37s acts
Of Congress were submitted for examination
and approval. The Senate consisted of twenty
two members and the House Of sixty-five Rep
resentattves1 The receipts Of the treasury for
the year ending June, 1890, were S4,771, 943,
and tho expenditures for, the same year were
50, 1886. In 1890 we had but seventy-fve
postmasters in all the United States of America.
Neither Washington, nor Adams, nor Jefferson.
nor any of our Presidents until the nation was
nearly half a century old ever appointed one
OF these officers.
I'm 1850, when the government had been
established for sixty years, our population was
%, 900 900; in 1890 it was 6, OOO. 600. In 1850
the Union was composed of 80 states; in 1890 it
numbered 40, and in 1892 A. In 1850 the
national wealth was estimated at g. 600 000, 900;
In 1880 1t had reached the fabulous sum Of
nearly s64 900 900 900. In 1850 the receipts of
the Treasury Department we're s43, 900. 900 and
the expenditures S37 ,0OO, 900; in 1889 the re-
ceipts were s443, OOO, 900 and the expenditures
s344 900, 900. In 1850 our post offices num-
bered over $4,000; in 1850 they were 63 900 and
bad been increasing at the rate of / 600 year
for the previous ten years. In 1850 the persons
employed in the civil service of the govern
ment numbered 80, 952s in 1892 they number
bered GO and the House 223; in 1892 the Senate
numbers 88 and the House $50 members.
Marvellous as has been the growth Of this
country in population and in wealth since 1850
the duties Of the presidential office have in
creased in even greater ratio.
"ln 1850 executive ciemency was extended in
As cases; in 1892 there were $50 applicants for
pardon. Only 1877 laws and Joint resolutions
we're passed by the Thrty-first Congress and
submitted to the President for bis approval,
while 1.s24were passed by the Fiftieth GSSS-S9)
The number Of post offices whose revenues
reach $1,000 a year, and which are therefore
Chased as presidential, has grown from 227 in
1850 to 3,l56 in 1882. The other presidential
Offices have increased in number from $50 to
400, making total Of 1855 appointments
directly in the hands of the present executive,
as compared with 1877 Offices filled during the
four s, years OF the administration Of Taylor and
Fillmore.
''Since 1890 the presidential post Offices have
increased at the rate of 200 year. They fall
vacant at the rnte of 800 year. At this rate
the incoming President will be compelled to
commission 1000 postmasters during his term
of office, and in addition win have in all the
other departments-State, Treasury, Interior,
Agriculture ard the Department Of Justice-not
less than 500 more officials to select making a
total OF 5, 500 appointments. This is exclusive
of the vacancies that may occur among the
judges who hold their terms for life, and also of
partments. A very conservative estimate Of 100
for all these during the four years carries the
total number Of appointments to $500. Allow
ing 3l2 working days to a year, this gives
,248 for the full term Of four years, thus aver
aging ~ appointments each business day
through the entire administration, which is
enough of itself to occupy the whole OF each
day.
IF you consider that for each one Of the
6 Zoo places there would be on an average three
applicants, or 600 in all, each backed by writ
ten testimonials and many Of them supported
by friends who seek and claim personal inter
views with the President, you will even then
appreciate but family the burden which this
list Of appointments places upon the chief ex-
ecutiye.
''If the record of recent Congresses as to the
number of bills passed is TO be northumberland
there Is no reason to doubt that it will be-theu
President during his next term will be coml
PEELED TO examine and approve or disapprove Of
not less than 1900 different acts Of Congress-
This duty for tho last sixty days Of a long ses-
sion ard the last thirty days OF short one con-
sumes nearly all his time to the exclusion Of
any other business.
SIN all this work there is no intermission pos
sible. A few days Of rest for the wearied brain
afford but little relief, since the work accumu-
lating during this short respite is found at its
close to have increased tenfold. The wheels Of
state keep incessantly revolving. The public