The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-02-21
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER,



WASHINGTON. D. c., Feb. 16, 1885.
A sad commentary upon the man.
ner in which our Government trusts
PTS foreign consuls is the fact reported
by one of our ambassadors that these
eonsuis plunge into all sorts of bust
nesssin which they may make up the
support that their meagre salary for
lids. At MantilIa one of these gen.
temeE compromises the dignity of
ais position and his country by run
ming a second hand clothing store,
while another in a South American
city is trading in goat-skins which he
exports to this country for half duty
oy sewing two skins together and in
voicing them as one. The interpre-
ter Of another consulate, sent out
from here at salary of two thousand
dollars, has had to resort to all sorts
of sinful articles to keep soul and
body together, and the Democratic
House the other day cut down his
salary to fifteen hundred dollars. In
some of these foreign cities it costs a
great deal more to live than it does
III home, because of the very fact that
a consul or attache of a diplomatic
character is supposed to afford to pay
we'll for everything.
In the possible repeal by this Con-
congress of the preemption and tim.
Der culture acts, the country may
congratulate itself upon the fact that
1T removes from the public land sys-
tenn the principal sources of the enor.
nous frauds that have for years been
boldly perpetrated upon the Govern
ment. Not only the best part of the
public domain has fallen into the
hands of domestic and foreign syndi-
Gates for purposes of speculation, but
the vast tracts oftimber in the north.
west have also fallen a prey to the
rapaciOus sWindlers in that region,
who have taken advantage of the
loose provisions of the preemption
law in the commission of perjury
and other offences sufficient to estab-
fish title. Under the law as it will
be subject to entry or sale except un.
der the generous homestead law, and
thus shall the actual settler for the
first time in our history be protected
in his right to share in the benefits OF
the public land system.
OF the one hundred and twenty
five thousand offices that President
Cleveland will have to dish out
among his friends. there are a few
right here IN the District of Columbia
that promise to cause him more trou-
Bile than all the others. In fact every
President in the last thirty years has
wished himself rid of this particular
list of appointments, for they satisfy
"ONNNS odu ulodppOlII tN6TyDOuV.
1t is now argued with Mr.. Cleveland
that these Washington appointments
should be distributed among the
States whose politicians take hand
in political campaigns, and not hand
ed over to men here who have Meth
er voice nor vote in politics, but Mr..
Cleveland will doubtless be reminded
that these same Washington people,
who are naturally expecting to get a
nibble at the public crib, raised
nearly twenty thousand dollars to
help in his campaign, and also did a
power of work in Maryland and Vir-
ginia. So the President would be
guilty of base ingratitude should he
overlook the deserts of the old cam.
paigners here who have sacrificed
any quantity of time and money in
cause of Democracy.
JUNIUs.