Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-02-18
WASHINGTON.
The AppOrtiOnmsnt Bill Passed Oy
the House.
oioomatic COrps--Small Pay--PIenty OF
T,iyritv--Inter-State Commerce .--Adul-
israted Food--The Garfield Bills
Public Education.
,oIyTs, PERSONAL AND POLITICAL
OUR DIPLOMATIC CORPS.
mall Salaries and the ReSult-ho"
,ne Positions are Pareelied Out.
..---.-r r,..,..rtrh 10 fhs ReniNler.

the Positions are Parceiieu O"'-
Spar;al DSsl,dtrh 10 ths Register.
w,sgTxerox. February 1.-THE large
.,,,bs- of diplomatic and consular vacan-
-:ss 10 be filed by this administrator
,,,kes II an interesting problem as to how
.bsy are given out. From the best intor-
nation that can be gathered, the Presiden:
8, the matter of foreign as well as domestic
ofSce giving. Just now prefers 10 De his
-, -.sraasr.- -Hithsrt0 the practice mas
-, Tor the Secretary OF State 10 designate
~ ocrunants of all. excepting the more
ssS',Or,snt missions and COnSulateS, sut
80 the new deal these places, like most
- have been filled from the White
U0USe direct. As TO
The Glass Of Men
an, Get them. it may be said that the APP
,ointee, 70 minor places, are, for the most
,,-t pc-sonal friends, or the Pnotcgcs OF
,.-soasl friends OF the President, or his
premier. the plan of apportiOning these
,,;ce-s among the States never having OBJ
.,,rsJ m this department TO any consider
.,rs extent. Thus, New York has proba-
Nv furnished more than one-third OF the
,,vs- rrlde COnsulS for years past, the
,,-, which seward gave her never having
5Ssn lost. The best places are OF course
.,yeu out with more reference To political
mi geographical requirements, the pres
nj DELAY in filling some OF them being IN
,,rri on indication of how much time and
.-oub.c is necessary TO adjust the machine
which is expected 60 outlaSt q single term.
The latter plan works badly occasionally,
r0G every now and then we send
Bnrdwe1 SIOte
b-uat 70 hOrrify our foreign relations, but
d, 50 ru.e the good places go to good men,
uhp {; .hey are not able to talk French ami
8,rh on readily'to court etiquette, know
what is expected Of them, and do the best
.5ey can with their limited opportunities.
That some ofthem are badly cramped there
, little question talked recently with
n ex.Niiister 10 one of the second rate
ro,t,. who attributed good deal OF the
.t-bcaring influence of English, French
md German diplomacy in certain quarters
., tie superior equipment Of their EmbaS-
qs over those OF the United States and
..her less preteRtious powers. Where he
Nas stationed his entire allowance was
) -.JCO per annum, out of which he was eX-
-ected to keep w an establishment cores
g0Gdirg to the
Dignity of His Position.
Ii he chose 70 hang up in a back street
oa-diug house, as they allege old man
,hris,iaucy did in Peru, the salary would
e ample. but when it was thought the
.nited States representative ought to run
,hingS on the same scale a. the British
Minister, who had $1,000 and an extra al
,owanec OF $500 annually for the expenses
4 his embassy house, beside having a full
Complement of secretaries, aldS and as
,:stantS. the problem became more difficult.
II is. perhaps. better that the old traditions
q Republican simplicity in our public
business be adhered TO, but there is point
a which penuriOusness is the only word
hat describes the situation, and this point
only lessons our proper influence abroad,
but may cost more money in the end than
would keep up our diplomatic service on a
satisfactory footing. since my own eS-
gerieaCe. said the gentleman above re-
erred 10. II have repeatedly diSsuaded
friends OF mine from seeking employment
% or
Diplomatic Service.
guics, they had private fortunes to fill out
any disparity between their salaries and
heir official obligations. II is not right
that such advice should be necessary, but
10 IS. and the conditions are gradually
operating as a discrimination against a
.arse class Of deserving men, who have too
much pride to subject themselves TO impu-
'atiOnS OF meanneSs, and who cannot afford
ne OUTLAY which these positions demand.
As TO the
Lower Grade Onlees
20 the service the same conditions in gen.
e;al apply. some of them are held by
persons who have means of their own, and
simply desire pleasant and congenial occu-
patton and residence abroad. The ConSu-
ate at Ghent which is said to only pay a
.ew hundred dollars annually, is occupied
- gentleman Of large means who Occa-
,iOAalIy spends more than the amount of
ais salary in getting up single illustrated
-rpOst, but the majority OF the Consular
places are held by those to whom the salary
s an object and generally an object OF un-
satisfactorily small dimensions. Those
who take them are expected 10 transport
themselves to their posts at their own eX-
ren>e, the only Outtit now allowed, being
a mouths pay pending the journey, in
many cases not sufficient to repay ordinary
travelling expenses. There are of course
notable exceptions TO the rule, and pleas
ant places where surroundings and COM
rerS1tiOu are alike satisfactory, but any
rody who will take the trouble to look
arOCgh the blue book will find they are