The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-08-14

not mean to run again; but he scented
danger to the party, and his diary
abounds from that time on with dis
paraging references to old Rough and
Ready. Polk could not well avoid put
ting Scott in command of the forces
operating against the City of Mexico,
because. although he was q Wing, he
was the ranking officer of the army,
but as soon as he could set chance
after the capture Of the city he relieved
him from command and handed the
army over to Democrat Scott was
not an easy man to get along with. but
Folks dislike for him seems to have
been due chiefly to his Wing politics.
But even more than a Wing he hated
a boiling Democrat. He says OF Mar
tin Van Buren, after he had accepted
the Free Soil nomination in 1913: HE
is the most fallen man 1 have ever
known" When Prince John Van
Buren,, brilliant and accomplished
gentleman. was at Washington he
would not allow him to be invited to
the presidents dinners.
Sometimes Folks judgment Of men
was accurate. OF Buchanan, who was
his secretary Of state, he says: HE is
in small matters without Judgment.
and sometimes acts like an old maid"
The people found out fifteen years
later that Buchanan was a cowardly
old woman in great matters. Polk says
also: HE is selfish, and controlled so
much by wishes of his own advance
ment that / canont trust his advice
on public question" But the presi-
dents low opinion of Buchanan was
due largely to the fact that the latter
had some regard for the protection
sentiment of Pennsylvania, and for his
own personal interests, and therefore
sought to throw obstacles in the way
of Folks low tariff policy. He pro-
posed at first to resign on account of
il. but was too fond of Office TO carry
out his threat.
Like Cleveland, Polk wanted to at
tend 10 all the details Of administra-
ton personally. He was fusSy in
termeddler in those petty matters
about which he never should have
bothered his head. He Was actuated
by that feeling so often seen in small
men who think they are great men,
that no one can do anything-even
copy letter or distribute the small Of
ficeS-as we'll as they can. He says:
No president who performs his duty
faithfully and conscientiously can have
any leisure. If he intrusts the details
and smaller matters to subordinates con-
slant eros will occur. / prefer TO super
wise the whole operations of the govern
ment myself rather than intrust the bust
ness to subordinates. and this makes my
duty very great.
The result of this excessive devotion
to details, and of his inability to utilize
the services of others, was that his
health broke down and he lived hut a
short time after he left the White
House. Since he felt that it was his
duty to superintend personally the d.
vision of the spoils of Office among his
adherents the gang of OfficeseekerS fell
on him and caused him much grief.
Under date OF March A, 1916, he
writes:
A year gone and the pressure for Of
fee has not abated. Will this pressure
never cease? / most sincerely wish that
1 had no offices to bestow. If 1 had not
it would add much to the happiness and
comfort of my position. AS il is, have
no Office to bestow without turning out
better men than a large majority OF those
who seek their places.
He says: "The herd Of OfficeSeekers
are the most unprincipled persons in
the country" He ''loathes' them,
both male and female. Almost the
whole Of my embarrassment in ad-
ministering the government grows out
of the public patronage which it is my
duty to dispense" He was of the
opinion that patronage weakened an
administration, and he resented the
claim of congressnen that they had a
right to control its distribution. But
despite his sufferings he never thought
Of such q thing as a civil service sys-
TEN, which would have rid him of
"loafers for Office" and females
pleading for their worthless rela-
tives." He abused the Democrats who
peStered him for places, but he would
not put the distribution Of the offices
out of his own hands, for in that event
a Wing might have managed to get one
of them.