Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-03-04
PAPERS RELATING TO HISTORY
or DISMISSAL OF HAWTHORNE
CALLED FOR.
ousrEp As SURVEYOR OF
CUSTOMS At SALEM, MASS.
Removal Of Famous Author From Pc.
litieaI Post in 1s4e Aroused lndiana-
ton Of Whiss-Effort to Complete
File Of Interesting Episode in Life Of
Author Of "Searlst Letter."
Especial Correspondence

Washington, Feb. 29.-The library Of
congress has requested the treasury de-
partment to turn over to it file Of pa
pers relating to the appointment and
dismissal Of Nathaniel Hawthorne, au-
thor Of the Scarlet Letter." House OF
the Seven Gables" ETC.. to and from
the position OF surveyor Of customs Of
the port Of Salem Mass. The recon-
mendations for Hawthorne's appoint
ment in 1916 include letters from
Franklin Pierce and George, Bancroft,
besides considerable number Of poll
ticians Of lesser note. The file, which
is a portion Of the records Of the ap-
rointment division Of the treasury de-
partment, does not contain the actual
record Of Hawthorne's removal, but in
iicates the effect Of that removal,
which took place in 1s4s, by the con-
siderable number of indignant letters
complaining Of Mr.. Hawthorne's dis
missal from Office as we'll as long
statement from the wings of Salem,
Massachusetts. explaining why Mr..
Hawthorne's removal was necessary
in the interests Of party success.
Among those who protested against
the removal which had then become a
fact, were Horace Mann and Rufus
Choate. The memorial of the wings
of Salem and the accompanying pa
pers tell an interesting political story.
Hawthorne had been appointed as a
democrat and Just before the wings
came into power with President Tay-
lor. General Miller, of Lundy's Lane
fame, had resigned his office as collec-
tor Of the port of Salem in favor of
his nephew, who was a democrat, and
who held over into the whig admins
tration. The complaint of the wings OF
Salem was that the majority Of the
best offices FIR the custom house which
were filled by appointment of the col
lector We're held, by democrats. and
that the custom house was the head
quarters Of local democratic engineer
ing. The memorial states that the
whigs suggested this undesirable con-
dition to the democratic collector, who
replied that he was not fully informed
ss to the policy Of the new admins
tration as to turning democrats out Of
office and putting In wings. and that
80 long as democratic office holders ap-
pointed by the president continued to
hold their posts, he would not feel au-
tliorized In diminishing or reducing his
own appointees Of democratic polttt-
cal faith. The wings thereupon ap-
parently made representations to the
authorities in Washington and sue
cessor was summarily appointed to
Nathaniel Hawthorne as surveyor of
the port; whereupon the local wings
pointed out to the democratic subordi-
mates that their day Of office was rap
idly growing to close.
With the exception of the absence OF
the record Of the actual dismissal OF
Hawthorne, the file is complete and
illuminating one as to this episode IN
the life Of the great novelist, and the
library Of congress is Of the opinion
that the documents should be made
part OF the, collections of the manu-
script division Of that institution. The
file is also Of especial interest to his
torical society in Salem-the Essex In
stitute-which has a collection that Is
widely known among students OF
American history. The Essex institute,
by permission Of the treasury depart
meit, has been to the expense OF pho
geographically reproducing these docu-
ments for the purpose Of adding them
to its permanent collection and also for
the purpose Of using the material In
connection with compilation relating
TO the life Of Hawthorne, which Is be-
ing made by the secretary OF the IN
stitute Ny George Francis Dow.