I Do Not Allude To These Selections
On Account Of The Political View Shown By The Presidents In Making
Them, But On Account Of The Political Virtue; In Order That The
Nature Of Political Virtue In The States May Be Understood.
It had
never occurred to any one to whom I spoke on the subject, that a
President in the bestowing of such places was bound to look for
efficient work in return for the public money which was to be paid.
Before I end this chapter I must insert a few details respecting the
post-office of the States, which, though they may not be specially
interesting to the general reader, will give some idea of the extent
of the department. The total number of post-offices in the States
on June 30th, 1861, was 28,586. With us the number in England,
Scotland, and Ireland, at the same period, was about 11,400. The
population served may be regarded as nearly the same. Our lowest
salary is 3l. per annum. In the States the remuneration is often
much lower. It consist in a commission on the letters, and is
sometimes less than ten shillings. The difficulty of obtaining
persons to hold these offices, and the amount of work which must
thereby be thrown on what is called the "appointment branch," may be
judged by the fact that 9235 of these offices were filled up by new
nominations during the last year. When the patronage is of such a
nature it is difficult to say which give most trouble, the places
which nobody wishes to have, or those which everybody wishes to
have.
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