"The passion for office among members of Congress is very great, if not absolutely disreputable, and greatly embarrasses the operations of the Government. They create offices by their own votes and then seek to fill them themselves"

In this quote, former President James K. Polk is revealing his belief that members of Congress have a strong desire for power and impact, which can be viewed as unethical. He suggests that this ambition typically impedes the functioning of the federal government, as these politicians use their positions to produce new offices and after that select themselves to fill them. This habits can be viewed as self-serving and destructive to the total functioning of the federal government. Polk's words highlight the potential corruption and selfishness that can exist within the political system, and the negative impact it can have on the country as a whole.