THE STORY OF AN ENTOMOLOGIST 



A detailed account of those early days would not be of especial 

 interest, but people under the present Civil Service cannot realize 

 the conditions that existed then. Appointments in Washington 

 below the rank of Cabinet officers, and possibly their immediate 

 entourage, were made solely by what was called "congressional 

 influence." Persons wanting government jobs appealed to their 

 members of Congress, and a considerable part of the time of 

 members was taken up in going from department to department 

 to look for jobs for clamoring constituents. And the appointees 

 themselves were constantly trying to strengthen their hold upon 

 these members to fix their continued backing. With a change of 

 administration, everyone was fearful, and there was a decided 

 overturn in the office-holders. 



I remember vividly that Cleveland's first election marked a 

 radical change. The Democrats had not been in power for many 

 years. One day while I was sitting at my desk, a shadow fell on 

 the papers in front of me, and I looked up to find a tall, gaunt 

 Southerner in a white linen duster, with the corners of his 

 mouth stained with tobacco juice. He grinned at me and said, 

 "Don't disturb yourself, sonny. I'm just lookin' around tryin' to 

 find a desk that will suit me, and I rather think that yours is 

 about right." And then, too, I remember that it was considered 

 the just thing for every employee to contribute to the election 

 funds of the party in power to the extent of one month's salary. 

 For example, I was asked to give one hundred dollars to the 

 Republican Congressional Fund during the first year I held office. 

 The man who solicited these funds was the private secretary to 

 the then Head of the Department. Thus it was equivalent to an 

 order. I paid it the first time, but never paid it later. It is only 

 fair to state, however, that during my whole residence in Wash- 

 ington of more than fifty-three years I never knew of a single 

 case in which a scientific man lost his position for any reason 



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