New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-01
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
THE NEW MINISTER TO PERSIA AND TIE
CONCESSIONS OF THE SHAH.
rYE WORD OF THE RULER OF THE ORIENTAL
REALM ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF WASH
INGTON SoCIETY-A WISE LAWYER
AND AN IGNORANT DOCTOR.
AND AN IGNORANT DOCTOR.


AND AN IGNORANT DOCTOR.
Washington. Feb 2s.-Thc nomination of TruA.
ION Beale as Minister to Persia dispaceS Spencer
Pratt, who was appointed by Cleveland from
Alabama. Spencer Pratt was a bachelor
about thirty-hve years of age. He was
a tall, slim blond with regular features,
reddish brown mustache and Vandyck beard.
lie educated as physician, and had studied
for number of years in Paris. lie was what
is 50 often described man about town. lie
never held any Office until Mr.. Cleveland gave
him this appointment lie went out TO Persia
and obtained as has every Minister who has ever
been there, several CONCESSIONS which were placed
in the hands of a syndicate in Ncw-Iork. lie
outcome of these concessions has never made
much noise with the public. IL is probable
that they shared no better fate than the con-
ccssions which were sold to the Anglo Persian
syndicate in London last summer. The shah OF
Persia is an arbitrary parsonage. IL ut oil
good nature it is easy to obtain almost any kind
Of concession from him But when he IS DIS
pleased. or influenced by any one near him, lie
is just as apt TO destroy the concessions without
a word of warning. One of the great scandals
Of London last fall was occasioned by the can
collation. of the concession given to the Anglo
Persian syndicate. This concession was SOFA ior
upward of 81 100000 TO the syndicate. Inc
Persian Minister himself interested In inc
sale, and received good share Of the purchase
money. 1t was found upon subsequent lhNeSt-
CATION that the Minister accepted this money
after he had received the news that the con-
cession was cancelled. If this great Orlent'l
dignitary had not been protected by his position
as Minister he would have been prosecuted As
il was lie and his partner, the Shah, rndouo'edS
divided a handsome The race Tor con-
ccssiOns in Oriental countries was at one time
great in London. There was an ar OF mystery
and magniiicencc about them which was most
impressive for investors. Persia is regarded as
an unworked mine for speculation. 1T has as yet
no railroads, and the mines of that country are
said TO be rich. Whenever the Shah IS triiie
hard up he sells a concession to some one, and
the moment the money is spent he cancels this
concession without going through the form of
making an excuse to any one. So badly was
the English public hit hy ,he break of the
Anglo-PeYsian syndicate that a concession for
entire Persia, with the Shah thrown in, to-day
could not he sold to any one in English financial
circles Mr. Winston closed his career in Persla
with a great railroad concession, ont of which
millions were to be made. But lie found that
the concession could not he negotiated without
the approval of the Russian Government. lis
failed and so the great fortune fell with ii.
II is not known whether Mr.. Beale is interested
in developing the riches of Persia or not, hut,
unless he has better fortane than those who have
preceded him, he will find only disappointment
in the Shahs dominions. The salary of the Mis-
sion is only SO, 800 year. 1t is not much more
than enough to ray the expense Os i journey
out there and back. Unless Minister is care
ful, lie is also in dancer of being involved IN
expenses which he cannot afford to pay unless
he has private fortune.
Congressman Anderson, Of Kansas who has
been made Consul-General TO Egypt has been the
most conspicuous man in the House in the last
few years in fighting the Pacific railroads lie
has introduced resolution after resolution of IN
ouiry. He has opposed all of the funding bllls
that were against the interest Of the Government,
and has been the champion of the rights asserted
by the Farmers Alliance people in Kansas, who
failed 20 re-clect him. He is fifty-six years of
age lie is above the medium height, stout, with
a round. frcsh-coored face, set off by luXuriant
lron-gray hair He is man of education, good
manners and pleasing address. lie was an advO-
cate for long time of free silver, but recently
he has modified his notions upon the subject and
was content to await the effects of the present
law before asking for any further legislation.
A quiet observer at the Capital. who mingles
with the politicians, said to-day in speaking of
the President
Il have found ont some of the reasons why
Mr.. Harrison is not popular in the general sense
Of the word with the common run of the poti-
clans. His first fault is that he does not know
low 10 gush. He does not know how to affect
passionate interest in things which are of no
concern TO him. lie does not understand the
ont. Of man Of Snccial
casions, a humbugging sympathy and make-beicve
friendship for everybody who comes along. |
believe that this ability is sometimes classed under
the head of personal magnetism. In this sense
the President is not magnetic. Another quality
Of the President. wherein ne differs from nearly
all Of the politicians. is that he believes in
treating his friends better than he does his
enemies. The representatives of friendly news
papers are preferred To those of the Opposition
pres. This Is 50 exceptional in the President
as 10 he worthy of marked attention. The aver
age statesman reserves his favors, his lindest 81
tention and gentleSt courtesieS for his most pro-
nOunced enemies
Senator Higgins, of Delaware. says that the
whippingpost and the pillory are Still retained in
his State, owing to the fact that the State lies
in the neighborhood os three great cities and that
il has TO adopt unusual means TO protect itself
from Becoming the asylum of criminals from these
great centres. lie is himself opposed TO the
preservation Of these forms of punishment. al
though he comedies that their preservation has
a tendency to make criminals give the State a
wide berth. The whipping Of to-day is merely
nominal and in no way resembles the brutal pun-
ishment of the past when the cato -nine-tails as
a form of punishment first established.
Professor Morse, of Amherst College, who has
been IN Washington visit, says that the So
ciety here reminds him Of the society in Rome
at the time of his visit there, when the Popc was
IN the last year of his temporal power. lie says
that the Roman society was then gay easy and
simple, with such vein Of hospitality and good
nature as TO make it most attractive TO a stranger
ILo did l..o..