Page:Speeches, correspondence and political papers of Carl Schurz, Volume 5.djvu/151

Rh make the selections themselves without outside interference. But such is not the case. When it is known that the chiefs of the bureaus have the potential voice in the appointment of the chiefs of division, they are at once set upon by Congressmen or other influential politicians who urge them to make removals for the purpose of putting their favorites, or importunate place-hunters they want to get rid of, into the places thus vacated. This goes so far that while I was Secretary of the Interior several of my chiefs of bureaus came to me with the earnest request that I relieve them of this pressure which harassed them excessively, by making a rule enabling them to say that they had no power to dispose of such places. The pressure then came upon me and gave me a great deal of trouble until it was generally understood that I would not yield to it. The extension of the civil service rule would obviate all this and, withal, furnish the most efficient men considering that the power of removal remains unimpaired.

If you should have time for an exchange of views upon this and kindred subjects, it would give me much pleasure to put myself at your disposal. I notified Mr. Roosevelt that you wish to see him on Jan. 17th at 12 o'clock. 



&emsp; I have been asked by the Harpers to write an article for Harper's Weekly on your inaugural, which I shall be glad to do. But as the manuscript, to be in time for the next issue, should be in the hands of the printers by Saturday evening, might I ask you, as a special favor, to instruct your secretary to send me an advance copy to my city address, 210 West 57th Street, as soon as may be? You might, of course, count upon its being treated as strictly confidential until the inaugural is delivered. 