Page:Speeches, correspondence and political papers of Carl Schurz, Volume 4.djvu/435

Rh but I do hope to accomplish it. To that end I am keeping clear of all engagements which are not forced upon me by actual necessity. I may add that I like the work.

This is a careful statement of the case, and now I refer the matter to your own judgment.

The information you say you will give me as to “the amount of probable compensation” will be welcome. 



&emsp; I trust it is not too late to congratulate you on the selections you have made for the marshalships in Chicago and Cincinnati, the appointment of Mr. Stallo, and the removal of Meade. All these things have made an excellent impression and greatly strengthened public confidence in your purposes and firmness.

I learn through this morning's papers that efforts are making to induce you to appoint some representative of one of the Democratic factions here collector of customs. Pardon me for saying that I should consider anything of the kind a great mistake and a misfortune. The New York customhouse is the most prominent place in the home service. It has a sort of National character. It is the place where the practical reform of the civil service is most conspicuously on trial. The selection you make for the collectorship will therefore be looked upon as a test of the general tendency of your Administration in that respect. The character of the appointment should, therefore, in my humble opinion, be such as to convince every one at first sight, that the customhouse is not to be in any sense a machine in politics. It is quite evident that the selection of any one “representing” any of the factions would produce just the contrary effect. 