The sun., 1918-07-02
THE OLD CUSTOM HOUSE AND ITS
NOTED COLLECTORS.
Memory Robertson Westeheser Whose Appointment Caused
and Conkling to Resign

his single person as stirring an episode
as the political history Of the United
States has witnessed and. conscious of
his negative completely, remain SO
serene.
This Collector. whom Garfield re-
warded for having made his tragic
and brief eminence possible. as ever,
one to-day does not know, came 10
his high Office as reward for swing
ing the choice for the Republican
nomination for the Presidency from
Grant to Garfield. He had gone to
the convention with the delegation
from Westminster at the time that
the lordly Utican Conkling and his
devoted band OF a hundred-odd dele
gates were straining Stalwart nerves to
seat General Grant for a third term.
His instructions were to vote his del
egation as a unit. Breaking the letter
and spirit Of these orders, he swung
his weight to Garfield. 1t was de-
termining factor in that election and
Robertson got his reward. Garfield
sent his name to the Senate and he
was made Collector of Customs at
New York.
Robertson was a prominent figure
at time of tense partisan feeling that
was more bitter than are the racial
animosities engendered in the United
States by the mammoth struggle OF to-
day. Patronage and the power to levy
and distribute the toll Of taxation were
the salient of a struggle that culmi-
mated in the death Of Garfield. Robert
son was a living reminder of that
tragedy to every one familiar with the
politics Of that time. A Collector Of the
days Of Chester A. Arthur and Tom
Murphy was a satrap. and the force Of
minor off1ceholders under him were like
the members of his personal family.
Sometimes the chief was lordly but
sympathetic. as in the case OF Arthur.
To him the force Of Federal employees
at the Custom House were his personal
retainers-"my boys"
Robertson lived under a newer dis
pensation that had been ordered at
the instance OF George II. Pendleton.
a Senator from Ohio, who II my mem
DRY serves me, was the father Of the
civil service law under which the
army OF men at the custom houses
In the United States hold their tenure
to-day. The customs service had been
reorganized under Rutherford f,
Hayes in such a way as to make this
army OF Government dependents al
New York, as elsewhere. somewhat
independent OF their chief. This i'm
potence OF the Collector to enforce
rigorous discipline was instanced TO
my personal knowledge in the case
of clerk who was cited before Rob
ertson on the day following one on
which he had refused to perform his
prescribed duty because the fateful
hour of 3 o'clock had struck. Tie
Collector mildly asked him at VIVA,
hour he had refused to act. Being
told he said in the gentle voice that
was characteristic OF him:
II was at my desk until O'Clock
to do the thing that you refused to do.
Please remember that"
Then he sent the man back to his
desk, chastened and instructed The
chief knew that ne could not dismiss
the man. even II he had will to do
it. and the clerk knew it too; but the
mild reproof was effective.
| Arthur would have refused even to
listen to a complaint unless 1t came
from a politically mighty quartz.
Then the complainant could have hal
access to the royal presence. ComlrS
from such a quarter it would have
been a signal for dismissal II the point
were pressed, or sharp admonition,
which would have been a mark OF dis
favor that would stand in the path ot
advancement FINpLAY SACkETT