The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-01
Minister Hunts Probable Resignation Furn-
ishes Text for Short Sermon on
Our Niggardly Consular System
Porter Debate To Be Resumed To-Day
and End Nobody Knows When.
NOrYin Green Argues Against Government
Control of the MISREPRESENTATION
of Secretary Chandler-NOteS.
OUR DIPLOMATIC SERVICE.
Minister Hunts Probable Resignation and the
Reasons Therefor.

Reasons Therefor.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31.-There is renewed talk
about the resignation of Mr. Hunt, our minister
to ST Petersburg, because the salary OF the Of
fee is not sufficient to support him as man
representing a great government must live in
that extravagant city. This statement again
calls to mind the oft-repeated assertion that the
consular and diplomatic service of the United
States is the poorest paid service of any govern
ment upon earth The maximum salary paid by
the United States to any of its ministers abroad
is 81, 500. With this comparatively insignificant
sum an American minister must make respecta-
BILE appearance beside the diplomats of Europe
whose salaries are greater than that of our Presi
dent.
1T is all very well to talk about republican
simplicity" said member of the committee on
foreign affairs, 'but republican parsimony Is an
other affair. A gentleman who represents the
American people at foreign court has some ma
tional pride, or he is no American. He does not
care to take back seat for any of the represent
atives OF the effete monorchies, nor should he.
We are great enough as nation to pay our Dip
lomats enough money so that they may live
without taking in washing. There is great
howl going up from all sections because
of the tendency to advance men with money to
the positions of honor. tell you young man.
it is only men with millions that can afford to
accept such places. 1t is for this reason that
our consuls and our ministers so often falling
from grace It is rarely that we find man with
O combination of money and diplomatic brains
Hence as brains cannot live without money, we
must send the S mark to represent us abroad
When we by chance stumble onto the combina
ton, some demagogue starts boom for his re-
call And now, young man." continued the
congressman, "don't you give my name away
for. if you do, 1 am liable to have another
chapter of the Hewett ODonnell- West racket
sprung upon me-"
OUR CONSULAR SYSTEM
Later got into conversation with Mr.. Philo
Parsons. of Detroit Mr. Parsons came here as
a delegate to the meeting of the National Board
of Trade. l asked him why it is that America is
so poorly represented in the markets of the world.
KS it altogether on account Of the tariff
inquired
NO he replied 'it is not. It is primarily
because of our nggardly consular system 1
have Travelled through Europe and parts of Asia
and Africa, and everywhere went found the
English consul the business of the country
he represents. He is charged with pushing
English interests in everything He is not paid
such a salary, either that he is obliged to sell
peanuts to support himself, but is paid enough
to live on comfortably and to save from if neces
sary. Why, in one town in Greece found the
American consul to be unfamiliar with the
English language. He was discovered in a little
grocery store behind the counter and when l
asked this dried-up representative of the Ameri-
can people where he kept the American flag, he
muttered something in German, and brought it
out Of a dirty little candle box. In this town
the English consul received good salary and
was respected by all, while the American eked
out his existence on fees aggregating
about 800 per annum and the profits
on few groceries In Cairo
the American receives $4,000. He pays s., 900
for his Office and tries to keep his family on the
remainder The English pay their man $4,000
for the same service and furnish his house, Office
and servants In one place in Italy found that
the hotel-keepers did not care to board the
American representative, because his salary was
so small that they feared he could not afford to
pay his bills All over Europe it was the same
way The American is subordinate to every
other commercial nation, because of the Ameri
can policy of cheese pairing"
II is to be hoped that the plans now under
preparation by the State Department for paying
all consus regular salary, instead of the PERM
cious fee system, will be adopted by Congress,
and that when our consuls come home they may
not be compelled to buy suit of ''hand-me
downs" in order that they may not be arrested
as tramps.