It is no doubt true, that it is difficult to find a man, with whom all parties would be willing to leave the responsibility of appointments. It is true that I have gained the confidence of the public in my impartiality, quite remarkably, and that this confidence has been of great advantage to the Board. Nor can I deny, that the Board has evinced at all times a willingness to provide me with all assistance which it believed necessary to enable me to perform my duties satisfactorily.

All this is true of the Board in its proceedings as a Board. Individual members of the Board, however, have never manifested such confidence in me. Here, after all, I acknowledge to myself, and I may now frankly tell you, is the real difficulty. From the first day of my duty to this, I have never been free from the most urgent advice, importunity, warnings, even threats, intended to influence or overcome my judgment as to my duty, either from Commissioners, or from persons coming to me in their name and with authority from them; and though the records of the Board show nothing but kindness to me, I doubt if I have ever attended a meeting of the Board without being reproved for not having followed the advice or acceded to the request of some member or members of the Board, and this often with a severity at which it would I think be impossible for any man, who respected himself, not to be greatly grieved or angered, however he might from a sense of duty conceal all feeling.

I made up my mind long ago that only till an opportunity occurred [245]when I might press measures of relief upon the Commission without its being suspected that I was acting under the impulse of some immediate provocation would I endure this tension upon my good feeling from men towards each of whom I should, but for the conflict which thus arises, feel nothing but respect, gratitude and friendship. If I saw that by enduring it longer, the park would be benefitted, I would endure; but I have not been able to resist the opinion that the action of the Board has often been influenced, consciously or unconsciously, by the displeasure of gentlemen with the manner in which I performed my duties, in respect to appointments and discharges. I am convinced that confidence of members of the Board in my judgment in other matters is weakened, where I am compelled to act contrary to their advice in the matter of an appointment. Nor could I conceal from myself that I have often been influenced in my decisions unfavorably to the interests of the park, by the earnest manner in which members of the Board pressed their opinions or wishes upon me. While the theory of the Board has unanimously been that I was to be left free to select men with regard solely to their qualifications for the work, the practice of its members in their individual capacity has allowed this to be possible, but in a very, very limited degree.

“Suppose,” you may ask, “anyone else should be appointed to this duty, will he be any less subject to this difficulty?” This is a question for the Board and not for me, but I may answer this much; while I undertake to perform this duty (which, if I were the agent of a mere civil corporation, or if I were a contractor, would occupy but an unappreciable portion of my time), as I am obliged to listen and respectfully reply to the advice and personal wishes of eleven men, and at their request of eleven hundred other men, I find it impossible to give proper attention to other and more important duties, which they as a Board impose upon me.

I am told that the Board has already adopted a measure intended to relieve me, by causing that the responsibility of appointment should be shared by a Committee. So far from finding this a relief, I am embarrassed by the uncertainty whether my action will be confirmed or upset by the Committee; by the necessity also of being always ready to give, in a more distinct form than would be required by any individual, the reasons which have led me to decisions—decisions which are not decided, since the Committee may, at the request of any person who is not pleased with them, at any moment, reconsider and veto them. It cannot be doubted, that as the responsibility for the effectiveness of those employed is divided, the urgency of each individual to secure the best qualified among all candidates will be lessened and that other motives—of kindness to individuals, of personal convenience—will operate.

I appeal with confidence to your own experience already as a member of the Committee, if this is not the case? Are you as thorough in your examination or consideration of each candidate, do you decide and vote as independently of the opinions formed by others, and of the wishes of others with regard to each candidate, as you would if he were to assist you in your own office and the choice [246]depended upon yourself alone? The Board could not have expected this of you. Why should they expect it of me? There are many practical difficulties attending such a divided responsibility as at present exists, but they are unimportant compared with the fundamental objection to which I have referred. I am sure that the present arrangement, instead of lessening the difficulties of which I have complained, will greatly increase them. I acknowledge all you say of the difficulty, and I am willing to undertake all that is possible, but experience has taught me lately with a force that is not [to] be gainsayed, that not only am I wanting in the necessary talent to manage the park to the satisfaction of the Commission or myself, while the demand arising from the responsibility of employing the force under the embarrassments I have described continues, but that it would soon prevent me from hoping to be useful to the Commission in any capacity. In fact, I am convinced that I could not live through next summer if the Commissioners expect the same of me that they have hitherto.