My successor acknowledged the right, upheld the view of the politicians in question, and abandoned the commissions, to the lasting detriment of the people as a whole.
One thing is worth pointing out: During the seven and a half years of my Administration we greatly and usefully extended the sphere of Governmental action, and yet we reduced the burden of the taxpayers; for we reduced the interest-bearing debt by more than $90,000,000.

To achieve a marked increase in efficiency and at the same time an increase in economy is not an easy feat; but we performed it.
There was one ugly and very necessary task.

This was to discover and root out corruption wherever it was found in any of the departments.

The first essential was to make it clearly understood that no political or business or social influence of any kind would for one moment be even considered when the honesty of a public official was at issue.

It took a little time to get this fact thoroughly drilled into the heads both of the men within the service and of the political leaders without.