The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-04-29
United States Diplomatic and Consular Repre-
sentation IN Japan and China.
How the Dignity OF the American
Republic Is Lowered.
Washington Patronage-Ignorancs and
the Greed of Gain.


tinguisncd members OF the United States Diplomatic
and Consular corps In China and Japan by the threat
ened deprivation Of rank md payment which now
hangs them. They show nothing the forttude OF
the first OF American philosophers who beng reduced
while Minister TO France from ST. Ill to 49, 900 year
simply commended the economy OF the government
and said he should initiate 1t by diminishing his own
expenses. Among numerous other points Of difference
between Benjamin Franklin ana the gentlemen who
uphold our national dignity In the East perhaps the
most striking is that the question OF thrif was IN
doubtcdy the last that affected him whereas the pres
en generation Of foreign ONCE holders rarely think or
anything else. Under the circumstances 1t Is i'm
possible not TO DO amused with the sensation
in this part OF tho world by the prospect Of economic
reform. Tho individuals concerned alone agitaed
1t Is impossible that others should be, owing 10 tho
settled conviction that neither increase nor reduction
OF payment would DO likely to occasion any change
the quality Of our official fraternity. Its
average Official character could not BIO worse
II the salaries cut down the conceivable
ngure and would not be better II amplined in
definitely l am careful to speak or the ''average,
IN order to avoid including the few honorable excep
tions in the general There arc certainly one or
two men, in both Japan and China who possess tho
requisite qualifications Of dignity ability and energy:
but these as usual servo only exemplifv the rule
II is not to BIO wondered at therefore, that the SUI
ferers have few sympathzers in their At
the same time, however, there is another sdn to the
picture which deserves and receives a moro serious
consideration. As TO how the personal interests OF the
ineumbcnts may be affected nobody gives thought,
but In respect to tho present and future reputation Of
our authority In this region there ID great deal of
deep feeling And this is u subject to which little
attention appears to have been given at home u
few words concerning tho singular errors and vices or
what is ironically called system" or representa-
ton here will not DO misplaced.
TIE SEcEssIrr OF a DIGxIPfED AND RxpERrExcHD
REPRESENTATION
there are any places In the world where the diplo-
matte and consular positions should held by persons
Of high attachments and uncxccptonabc character they
arc In countries with which we have important COM
mercal and other relations and which are yet SO 70
mote from us, intellectually well as geographically
that complete harmony Of thought and action are at
present possible. In one important it matters
little who fills our diplomatic posts In nations Of kim
dred origin or culture The mistakes Of an envoy in
any European capital can never lead to any serious
BARN. There are always points OF contact national
sentiment which minister could venture to irritae
to dangerous point. Before mischicvous or an in
competent man could go far tho wrong road he
would be found out and turned back either by popular
clamor or by the voice OF his supcrors or in an ex-
tremc case, by the determination Of those to whom
he might be accredited Here the is totally diff
ferent Everything depends upon the representatives
II lies In their power make such disposition as they
choose of the reat between their own country and
these Eastern empires. They can either bind thcm
together in tho closest tics Of friendship the Amer
can Harris bound the Japanese authorities OF his day
TO the government Of the United Stascs or they can
engender hatred that may last for generations such
as the Englishman, Mr.. Parkes, has succeeded in
kindng against his nation And these things may be
done without the slightest knowledge the part Of the
rulers at home who, with hardly exception, are
alike ignorant and Indifferent in regard to what passes
MINISTER THE UNITED STATES,
Ike all the rest has everything IN his own hands.
tanned by the department at Washington, which every
now aud then puts forward prctcnce Of watchfuness
by sending out an instruction that usually bctrays IN
utter Misunderstanding OF the whole uation Prac-
tcaly the envoy Is LEFT to his unchecked devices
II his to make or to mar according TO his Instincts
capriccs or personal prejudcsa This being
tho case, IL would seem TO be indispen-
sable that AL selections for public positions
discretion. Since the government at homo will not
aud perhaps cannot give an intelligent consideration
TO tho course OF events In this neighb0rhood decent
effort should DO madc 10 supply IN some other way
the exercise Of such sagacty, fidelity and integrity
needless 10 point out how entirely tas requirement Is
disresarded There IL nothing DO proud OF In the
conduct Of our foreign representation in any quarter
but here y Is worse than contemplate The best that
can be said about is that Eastern posts are in
fortunate cases. disposed Of pensions dccayed or
unserviccabic politicians But tho do
not always rise TO tina. level or rcspeciabty
The light In which the official openings in China and
Japan appear to be rec ared by the Washington auhor
ties Is that OF cesspool tor the deposit OF
ofiicc-secking refuse When an applicant is
SO So, bad n reputation or SO mean N ability
he instantly gravitatec hithcrward as II by some i'm
mutable law. again desire to acknowledge the OK
from administrations preceding the present. but every
observer is TOO painfully that tho rule Is as
show IT, Tho undoubted theory Is that Japan and
China
that the mischief wrought by worthless delegates
recol upon those who have appointed them and
also that the people OF these uutam
lar with our language, customs and national character
stics TO detect the injuries that prsctscd upon
them But the principle is not altogether safe ono
TO connie Ia. II may be truo that the public
Is careless Of tho stains thus inflicted
on American rcputc but Vt H mistake suppose that
the governing classes OF either Asian Empire so
dull OF perception as not to mark the sights and
affected by them They demonstrate. Ii is not
in their nature TO give active signs Of dissatisfaction in
weakness to venture 10 complain hui IL
the less true that government sowing year
By year, awind OF mischief which must bring It's in.
cvitablc ~hrlwind OF rctrbution hereafter
SYSTEM OF MAINTENANCE or THE
II the plan upon which appointments arc determined
Is objectionable, the manner In whch The Offices
maintained Is not less IL Is not too sweeping an
assertion TO declare that have dccenty organ
ized legation consulate IN the East There Is no
iocc sufficient to DO the essential work the mai erals
are lnc1cctycy distributed and tho inadequate funds
provided for the performance OF various duties are
iraudulcntly applied When | say fraudulently | do
not mean in sense that implies individual dishonesty
on the part OF the officials here since the misuse OF
moneys - wen known and virtually authorized by the
State Department IL az clearly understood in WASH
ington as u ~ IN Toxic Pckin that appropra-
tiohs for interpreting and for prison accommodation
strictly devoted TO their nominal pur.
poses do not pretend to say whether these
evasions should be Chased among the crimes
or only the laundering stupies OF Official routine:
but do say THAI they pnt us in very humiliating
position before The eyes OF all behoders they ought
10 IN our own when everybody is aware that certain
sums are disbursed, ostcnsiby payment OF inter-
prefers, aud that many OF the persons who receive
them have no knowledge an 4 pretend TO OF the
language oil the country which they live. Il i'm
possible 10 complain OF the scandal that follows When
specified OUTLAWS for jas openly devoted TO the
household accommodation OF holders OF Office. who
can wonder at the frequent blasts OF outside criticism
and censurey
WHO BfAMEs
IL probably true that tho blanc does not rest with
the resident REPRESENTATIVES, Of The United Siaca All