The New York Tribune draws this picture of the Bureau of Immigration and Agriculture:
The Commissioner is one Griggs, a person of dusky color, who doesn’t at all trouble himself about immigration and doesn’t know anything about agriculture. The only official function in the exercise of which he is at all resplendent is that of drawing his salary, which he does monthly with great spirit and persistence. Compassionating the fatiguing nature of this service, the last Legislature voted him several “assistants,” who receive each the neat honorarum of $125 per month. One of them, known to his familiars as Charley Bush, was a hackman, who has deserted the box for the bar, and employs his time in absorbing ardent spirits and playing at all-fours. Once in thirty days he appends his name to a receipt for his salary; and that is all the writing the ex-Jehu does in the Department of Agriculture. Another “assistant” is one Shadd, who is also Speaker of the House. Another is Little, who is a State Senator. Another is Spelman, who is also a member of the Legislature. Such is the Department of Agriculture in a State which sorely needs the very wisest and most conscientious care of this interest. The whole thing is a fraud at once laughable and shameless. What the great Griggs gets we are not informed, but there are five “assistants” drawing annually from the Treasury 12,500 of the most easily earned dollars in the world; if, indeed, so much as one of them can be said truly to be earned at all.