Page:Visit of the Hon. Carl Schurz to Boston, March 1881.pdf/34

Rh rogeneous subjects, all of importance; the interests in its care offer such attractions and temptations to those who strive to overreach the Government by dishonest means, and the branches of the public service under its control are scattered over an extent of ground so extremely difficult to watch, that is requires a long and intense application on the part of its head to understand its different branches and all the places of danger, and to master its machinery. I think I am not exaggerating when I say that the Interior Department devolves as much labor and responsibility upon its head personally as any other two departments impose upon their chiefs combined. Under such circumstances, knowing the department as I do, I shall always be disposed to make ample allowance for extraordinary difficulties in passing judgment upon the success of a Secretary of the Interior, and to be very careful in charging upon him direct personal responsibility for occasional accidents, mistakes, or failures. All that I am willing to claim for my own administration of that department—and a great part of that credit belongs to the able and faithful subordinate officers who aided me—is a certain measure of improvement upon the condition of things as I found them; and I should be that last man to say that my successor may not find occasion for improvement upon the condition of things which I leave to him. He is a man of high character, just impulses, and great practical experience and sagacity; and one of the best wishes I can