Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-12-13
OUR STATE DEPARTMENT.
APeculiar Institution.

unQef tne government. Everybody KNOWS tnlS
who is at all versed In departments. The visitor
who drops in at the War or Navy department, in
the wing above, and then comes down to visit
the State department notices the difference as
soon as he opens the door. Instead of the clerks
talking in the corridors and people smoking Or
laughing around, he sees messenger who has
aped Mr.. Seward, late Assistant Secretary of
State, in wearing skull cap; a long corridor,
silent, clean and cold. There may be people
going in or out, but they do not make any noise.
No clerks are seen in the corridors. Neither is
door open on either side OF the halls Every
body is very polite. Often they are polite when
show .cuss' if he did not put it in words. The
business of the department runs like clock
work. The clerks generally enter its service
when young men and go outHwhen they die.
Political influence has but little effect in secur-
ing place in the State department. Very few
discharges are made, and then for cause only.
POLITICS IGNORED.
The clerks are selected for adaptabiity and eff
cheney. The chief clerk Of the department does
not know the politics of single man under him.
He actually goes so far as to say that he doesn't
care to know. Unlike other departments, the
chief clerk has full supervision of all the en-
ployts in the department and its work. The
present chief clerk has been in the department
fifteen years. Before Mr.. FshS day the depart
ment was run somewhat loosely. Under Mr..
Fish it was reorganized, and rules for its gov
eminent made Such rules are generally OBJ
served few months and then relaxed. Not so
in the Department OF State. With additional
regulations where needed they are so much in
force now that no clerk would think OF violating
them.
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.
One of the leading features OF the organza-
tion is secrecy. No clerk or officer Of the de-
partment ist open his head about any business
OF the depaftment-and he never does. No one
is allowed to receive visitors in his room. to go
out during business hours without permission,
or to visit from room to room. The doors are
always kept closed. A daily visitor to the de-
partment for more than three years has not in
that time seen more than half dozen clerks,
and they were out OF their rooms on business.
Smoking is allowed inside the rooms, but not in
the corridors. The StumpS of tobacco, or splaSheS
Of nicotine juice are never seen on the corridor
floors. The only individual that you will see
with regularity is the elevator man. He never
knows anything. He doesn't even know if the
Secretary has gone up in the elevator or not.
That's the way it is all around Nobody says
anything unless it is his business to speak. The
clerks don't go trooping out of the building at
O'Clock, as in other departments. They drop
out one by one between and 5, as they get
through their work.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE
is Of course at the head of the department. His
room is small, quiet, and handsomely furnished.
He used to have the handsomest room of any gov
ernment official until the magnificent one now
occupied by Secretary Thompson was completed.
The work Of the department is arranged most
Systematically. There are three assistant sec
retaries of State. All the countries with which
WE nave TtldtlOuS' are ulNlupu dUug THESE
three geographically. When the mail arrives in
the morning it is indeXed and stamped. 1t is
then brought to the chief clerk, Mr.. Sevellon A.
Brown. He reads it all over, acts on some Of
it, sends portions to the assistant secretaries,
and all letters that are OF sufficient Importance
are taken to the Secretary of State. The answers
are sent back to the chief clerk and looked over.
Those that require the Secretary'S signature or
which he should see are taken to him. All are
press-copied before going out. These papers are
moved around in closed boxes. Many of the
M 70 nj oh nit
ten by clerks. There are twenty clerks in the
department who can draft dispatches in the
most important diplomatic correspondence.
THERE is ONE CURIOUS FACT
In connection with our diplomatic correspond
ence. All this correspondence Of the govern
ment is preserved. There is complete set OF
volumes, embracing it all since the foundation
of the government. The volumes in which they
are contained are so admirably arranged thar
within three minutes from the request any
curious that the files of the departments cor
respondence during the war more than doubled
all that had preceded. Since the war there has
been no falling of In this correspondence, but
steady, gradual increase.
HOW THE DISPATCHES 60 OUT.
Tie correspondence goes out through the
mails as other matter, except that closed mail
is sent to the departments agent in Hamburg
every "Wednesday, and to the London agent
every Tuesday and Friday. These agents dis
ant business the cable is brought into requisi-
tion. II the Geneva negotiations had been con-
Quoted by mail they would have fallen through.
II was stated in quite number of leading
newspapers shortly before the date that the
Halifax award fell due, that communication
which it was known that Secretary Evarts had
addressed to the British government could not
receive consideration by the English foreign
Office before the date fixed for the payment of
the award. After the subject had been settled,
Secretary EvartS remarked to a friend that the
newspapers must nave q very small idea or the
national income. They should nave considered
the fact that on important business the govern
ment could stand cable bills even for his alleged
long sentences. 1t has been urged, on the other
hand, that the cable does away with all need Of
I: s. ministers abroad 1t is advanced that
with important consular officers we could get
along as well. consul has no diplomatic au-
thority. and no government of any Importance
would consent to negotiations through such an
officer. The cable cannot do the minister's
chief duty. 1t very often is that the greatest
part OF a minister's work is OF preventive
character. He prevents outrages upon our Cit
liens abroad and prevents complications which
would often interfere seriously with our foreign
relations If no hand OF authority had interveneli
REVENUES OF TIE DEPARTMENT..
The department brings quite revenue to the
government in the collection OF passport fees.
Every passport issued brings in s.. No caIcula-
tion upon the number of persons going abroad
can, however, be based upon the passports is
sued. a passport is not required, and many
travel without one. 1t is always better to have
tne passport, however. ine work done by the
department Is quietly executed, and few have
any idea OF the amount accomplished yearly.
PUBLICATIONS MADE
There are number Of publications made
every year. Our foreign correspondence, our
commercial relations, and all the laws are pub
lished under the department. At the close of
every session OF Congress there is rush to the
department. The appropriation bills always
contain provisions that benefit individuals.
WANT TO GET THEIR MONEY.
They rush to the department to procure Ger
titled copies OF their ''ltttle claims" in order to
get the money from the Treasury. These certi-
fcations used to be made by the chief clerk IN
I'll d mistake occurred. In a contested seat case
the Would-be Congressman was granted an ap-
preparation for '.eXpenSes." He wanted to get
out OF town in hurry, he said, and desired a
certified copy OF the clause making the appro-
prlation. 1t was given him, the money collect
ed from the Treasury, and the man left town.
The appropriation bill was long and contained
GumberleSs items. Near the end of it was a
provision that killed that giving tile appTopria-
tion to the man who had already drawn his
money. Since then the chief clerk has refused
TO certify clauses, and all have to wait until the
bills are printed.
GEN. MALONE NOMINATED FOR SENATOR
The Virginia ReadiuSters in caucus last night
nominated Gen. VIM. Malone, for United States
Senator to succeed Senator WithefS, whose
term expires March 4, 1851. The nomination