Hampered, harassed, and hounded by office-seekers, the President once
opened his confidence on this irritating point to a conscientious
public officer. He wished the senators and others would start and
stimulate public sentiment toward changes in public offices being made
on good and sufficient cause--that is, plainly, never on party
considerations. The ideal civil service, in a word. Nine-tenths of his
vexations were due to seekers of sinecures.
"It seems to me that such visitors dart at me and, with finger and
thumb, carry off a portion of my vitality," was his saying.
His hearer laughed at the image, but the other pursued earnestly:
"I have made up my mind to make very few changes in the offices in my
gift for my second term. I think, now, that I shall not move a single
man, except for delinquency. To remove a man is very easy, but when I
go to fill his place, there are twenty applicants, and of these I must
make nineteen enemies."--(Authenticated by Senator Clark, of New
Hampshire, to whom the confidence was imparted.) [Footnote: Secretary
Blaine, out of his similar experience, reiterated the sentiment thus:
"When I choose one out of ten applicants to fill an office, I find that
nine have become my enemies and one is an ingrate."]
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