Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-21
DIPLOMATIC APPOINTMENTS.

to the Senate, PRESIDENT hayes appeais "
have followed more intelligent principle
than has usually governed the filling OF
those offices. Instead OF putting new and
inexperienced men into the vacant mis-
sioas, he has taken diplomatists OF well
proved capacity By this method he has
secured probably the most efficient diplo-
matte service, that can be had under this
form of Government. If it is worth while
to keep up foreign missions at all, it is
worth while to keep them up well, and
heretofore it cannot be said that this has
been done. For the most part foreign posts
have been given to politicians who had
failed at home, and it has only been
thought desirable to seek something ap-
preaching competency in one or two OF
the most important missions. Consulates
have generally been reserved as a means OF
getting rid of people who had some
claim upon the Administration, and
who were considered ineligible for respon-
sible positions at home. The Incompetence
of many of these officials has been much
better known in Europe than in the
United States, and not few of them have
caused scandals which have brought dis
credit upon the American name. 1t IS GER
tainly time that some effort should be
made to secure efficiency in these appoint
ments, and the only way to do so Is 10
retain in office men who have demon
strated their capacity. Commonly our
Ministers and Consuls have been removed
about the time when they were beginning
to understand the duties of their positions,
and the newcomers have of course had to
begin at the beginning and learn every
thing. The United States occupy far too
important place among the nations at
present to be able to afford to let their
diplomatic service continue in this chaotic
state. If only out of self-respect this
service should be carefully fostered, and
system should be engrafted upon
it. In all other governments the
diplomatic service is conducted with view
to securing the best possible results, and to
this end faithful and intelligent conduct is
rewarded by promotion. Diplomacy Is
made a career, and one result of this prac-
tice is that our Ministers are seldom fit to
cope with their colleagues, because they
lack the requisite training and experience
There has of late been more or less talk of
abolishing foreign missions altogether, the
argument in favor of this course being that
the telegraph has practically superseded
them. But so long as all the other Powers
adhere to the present system it is clear that
the United States could not abandon it
without loss of prestige, and besides, there
are frequent occasions where the need of a
minister on the spot is strongly felt.
A Just cause of complaint in this con-
nection is the insufhciency of the income
attached to the more important missions.
1t is evident that an American Minister at
a foreign Court ought to have the means Of
presenting as liberal an appearance as his
colleagues. To enable him to do this is
purely matter of national business, and
no consideration of mere economy should
interfere with it. A Minister who cannot
live in the style common to the other
foreign representatives at the Court to
which he is accredited, is prevented from
exercising the influence he should
possess, and his country is humii-
ated through him. At present it is
notorious that only a rich man can
afford to take the Russian, English or
French Missions, and then the Minister
mnst spend out of his own resources about
double what his Government allows him.
This is all wrong, and Congress ought to
put the leading Missions upon better
matte talent is by no means always to be
found among the richer class of citizens,
ever capable, can take these positions. This
is an injustice to the people, and it tends
to make diplomacy the appanage of the
wealthy alone. The republic is too rich
to dicker over diplomatic expenses like
some little South American Govern
ment, 1t ought to take a pride
in sending some of its ablest men to foreign
parts, and in maintaining them handsomely
while they are abroad. 1t ought also to
insist that the principle applied by the
President to these new appointments shall
be made the rule and not the exception
and that faithful diplomatic service shall
hereafter be the guarantee of promotion
and retention in office. We have all the
uses for diplomacy that any Government
has, and the probability is that we shall
have more instead of less need for it in the
future.