National Republican., 1886-04-03
N N

mended such officers to the government be-
lieved them capable Of dishonesty. On the
other hand, 1t may be safely assumed that
the insuf1lciency OF pay, coupled with the
novelty of their position, led them into their
difficulties, from which many Of them suffer
to this day.
Another great evil that has probably
grown out Of this insufllclency OF pay Is a
practice which has already done much to
undermine the reputation OF our consuls
and the character OF our government, and,
rs the practice now threatens to become
general, 1t might be In place to warn the de-
partment, to the end that, II our consular
service is to be improved at all, a very de-
sirable reform may be introduced into the
service which would at once elevate the
general tone of our consuls, be worthy OF
the government, just to American citizens,
and imperatively necessary to the dignity OF
our country.
The consular regulations apparently give
the consuls carte blanche in the selection
of their vice consuls and consular agents,
and consul who is ION the make" as the
phrase goes, will not hesitate to make use
Of this privilege In manner that reflects
very little credit either on the consul or
the man of his choice. In casting about,
namely, for suitable persons to fill these
posts, the consul has only one object in
II
order TO attain this, he either selects per-
son who is able and willing to perform the
duties OF office hOn0ris cduSd, or for about
half the salary attached to the position.
In both cases he has an arrangement"
with the parties, which, In less flexible
English, means that he makes them acces-
sories to little deception which he prac-
tices on the United States treasury. through
which he pockets either the whole or the
half of the salary Of these officers, as the
arrangement" may be. IL the govern
ment means this construction to bo put
uLon the discretionary power vested In the
consul there is no more to be said on the
matter, but the practice Is none the less
iDiquitous for being winked at, aud the
eff ects are daily becoming more apparent.
A glance at our list OF consular officers
will show large proportion OF names
whose bearers have never even been In the
United States. To these people the title
consul is no doubt powerful incentive to
serve the government for nothing, or next
to nothing. II gives them sociabstandlug
which they could not otherwise attain. But
the fact that they consentto become party
to most palpable fraud to satisfy their
personal vanity does not prevent them
from conceiving the utmost contempt for
the consuls practiclng the fraud and the
government engaging them; and 1t Is here
that most Of the evil spoken of our consuls
and our government generally originates.
| The undersigned is speaking advisedly
when he asserts that by no class of people
In Europe ore Americans, either travelling
or resident, treated with more insolence,
and their government more bitterly reviled
than by these same officials. In the pres
ence OF the cOnsuls they are inVeterate
toadles, but In the circle of their friends or
at their places of resort the consul might
| sometimes hear remarks about him, HID
| countrymen, and his country that would no
| doubt open his eyes on many things. As
there is no earthly reason why this state oil
things should be continued, our govern
| ment might work change here
which It owes TO our people, their
interests, and their dignity and their repute,
and thousands Of Americans abroad as well
as at home would hail this change with sin
| cere pleasure, Why our vice consuls aud
consular agents cannot be appointed by the
| government from among our citizens al
| home Is incomprehensible, and the fact that
they are not so appointed is as humiliating
as II Is unjust TO our countrymen. The cry
raised by interested cOnsuls that q "white
mani cannot live in Europe on $1,000 and
81, 200 a year is absurd. Our vice consuls,
being mostly young, unmarried men, who
have no ''social obligations to cause then
unnecessary expenses, could easily live
Our consular clerks receive 81 200, and they
live, and are "white men, too, or the un
dersigned has not caught the exact meaning
of the term. Besides, such vice consuls
enjoying, as they probably would, the same
immunity from the result OF presi-
dental elections as do consular clerks
and from the caprices OF thei
superiors, as do vice consuls and con
sular agents, who labor pro bono principis
would generally remain at their posts much
longer than the consuls, and thereby enabl
the department TO educate to Its use tn
material from which TO organize consula
service which, for efficiency, respectability
and, above all, reliability In all things, woul