for office, but that, if he desired it, I would communicate his letter to you, and that I was sure you would be glad to get in such cases the best information that could be had. He authorized me to send you his letter, and I now do so. Of the persons mentioned by him I know nothing.
Let me mention also, by the way, that I have a letter from a friend in Cleveland who informs me that the newly appointed collector of internal revenue there, John Farley, loudly proclaims that civil service reform is nonsense, and that he is going to remove all the employees connected with his office, some of whom have been very efficient, and one of the best of whom was on your side in the last election. I mention this for what it may be worth for the purpose of suggesting that it might be well to caution the new appointees in this respect. Some of them may be apt to do considerable mischief and to create much ill feeling and prejudice against the Administration by such proceedings.
I cannot tell you how glad of every occasion I am to congratulate you on a success, and how loath to find fault. But my devotion to our common cause, as well as my personal feeling for you, makes it a duty to say something to you about your customhouse appointments. The appointment of Burt is the ideal one, provided there is sufficient reason for the removal of Graham. If there is not, the Senate will be likely to reject Burt. But as to Mr. Hedden,[1] I fear you will have made a grave mistake. Whatever recommendations may have been procured from business men, it is universally believed that Mr. Hedden would never have been thought of as a candidate, had not Mr. Hubert O. Thompson “invented” him. Nobody would assume that Mr. Thompson put him for ward for the purpose of reforming the public service. There is a feeling in the community that the Administra-
