Treasury furnished recruits for both armies. During my time and for
years afterward, the post of Assistant Secretary was held by Mr.
Hartley, a Democrat from the days of Pierce and Buchanan. He was
experienced, diligent and entirely trustworthy.

Of the first class of employees it is to be said that there is no
occasion to embalm them in their offices, and if their pay is adequate
there is no ground for placing them upon the pension rolls. Their
duties are not as exacting as the duties and labors of men in
corresponding stations in private life. As to the second class, their
relations to the public are such that no public obligation arises
except to pay them the stipulated salaries.

It is essential to a proper administration that the Secretary or the
President should have the power of removal, and it should never be
coupled with the duty of making a statement of the cause. Not
infrequently a statement would be the occasion of scandal and of
suffering by innocent parties. The power may be abused as every
power may be, in the hands of dishonest or corrupt men. This is one
of the perils to the public, a peril from which no government can
escape. With us a change of rulers is a remedy for political wrongs
that do not belong to the catalogue of crimes. It may be said,
however, that this power of removal gives to a dishonest administrator
of a department the opportunity to secure the appointment of his
political friends in the place of political opponents removed, and this
whatever may be the method of appointment. The candidates may pass
the competitive examination, and they may enter upon their duties, but
their chief in thirty or sixty days may find them lacking in practical
aptitude, and so on, until those of the true faith shall be sent
forward by the examining board.

Honest administrators of official duties are embarrassed by the system
and dishonest ones evade it. The system may become the enemy of
honesty and the shield of hypocrisy. Only this is needed. When the
appointing power has designated a person for an office, let that person
be examined by an independent board with reference to character and
those qualifications which seem to be a fit preparation for the
practical duties of the place. Whenever the power of appointment and
removal is abused the public has a remedy in a change of
administration. And herein is one reason why the Presidential term
should not be extended. There may be many evi