Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-04-03
All Denouncing the President for Not
Recognizing Their Claims.
A Craze for consuIships-A Georgian in the
kitehsa-Pciats.

took turns talking, and the burden of
their song was a denunciation of Presi-
dent Cleveland for his failure to recog-
uize their claims. They scarcely knew
how to express their indignation.
Just as they had reached fever heat
and were indulging in some very lurid
language concerning the master of the
White House the secretary of war made
his appearance. Being acquainted with
two of the men, he stopped to talk with
them moment, and | was surprised to
hear the very men who had been de-
nouncing Cleveland start in to praise
him. They exhausted their stock of ad-
iectives and superlatives in describing
the greatness and the goodness of the
president. You see. Colonel Lamont is
President Cleveland's right hand man in
the distribution Of the Offices His ad-
vice is often sought, and he has closer
relations with the president probably
than any other man. Therefore the dis
gruntled ones dare not air their griev-
ances before Lamont. and from protesta-
ton turned III way that was comically
abrupt into panegyrics.
This is characteristic of the Office seek
ers They growl and curse. but take
good care not to destroy the remnant of
nope that remains within them by per-
uniting their expletives to be heard by
those in authority 1t is funny to see Il
squad of them in the office of one of the
members of the cabinct--all smiles and
compliments and unctuous admiration
for the new administration-and to hear
them talk an hour later on their return
TO their hotel
The office seeking episode has now
reached the stage known as kicking at
the tavern Impromptu symposiunl3
are formed at the hotels. and views. ex-
periences, disappointments. indignation
and profanity freely exchanged. These
office sec,;ers who sit about the hotel lob
hies wearily waiting. hoping against
nope and Kicking" while they wait.
form little world of their own. Moth
ing appears to interest them save the
latest gossip about appointments. They
think and talk of nothing else. They
must even dream of the commissions
which have never been made out.
Nor is it al ludicrous. Many of these
poor fellows become half crazed over
their quest for official honors. 1t is a
wonder more crauks are not developed
among them. Last night, for example,
an Office seeker whom have known for
several years called me to him in cor
ner of the Arlington hotel. He had been
writing Il letter to his wife in the west
and insisted upon reading it to me. 1t
was tale OF disappointment after dis
appointment, but of dogged determine
ton to hang on till the last place is filled.
AS he read the letter my friends cheeks
lyere wet with tears, and when I advised
him to give up and go home he said,
mo: my wife and haveset our heart on
IN appointment, and if l fail I'll never
show my face in toe town wnere live"
Though most OF the place seekers are
atill at the hotels, the boarding house or
furnished room stage of the business will
soon be reached by many of them. AS
pne after another runs short Of funds he
will abandon his expensive quarters at
The inn, and in o lew months more we
lhall have roaming the streets of the
capital the usual crop Of frouEy, seely,
discouraged and dilapidated Me;l who
came to Washington for offices AMI
found them not. Within 60 days we
shall realize again the truth of the old
tradition that many man who comes to
the capital asking the president to give
him fnrai,r,, ~, 1tinIs ,.J, "a "a
request for an old pair of boots to walk
home in.
Speaking of foreign missions, there is
an unaccountable craze for going abroad.
The crop of hunters for consulships is
the biggest crop of all in the Office seek
ing field. can understand why even
successful men might want to go abroad
as a minister of their government. 1t is
an honor and leads to pleasant sojourn
in a foreign capital 1t is also easy to
understand why man should be will
ing to take one of the best consulships-
one of the places which afford an income
of from 5000 to $4,000 or $4,000 a
year.
These places, however, are very few,
and the great majority of men seeking
consulships must be content with posts
which pay from 81 ,000 to $500 year.
and which require them to bury them
selves in sleepy little towns which no en-
ergctic American would ever think Of
choosing rs a desirable place Of resi-
dence. Yet there are many thousands cf
men in the country bringing all the
pressure they can to secure just such
places.
Go over to the state department any
OF these days and yon will see group of
ineu gathered abont the big globe in the
corridor either picking out consElsl,iis
or looking up the geographical position
of the places fer which they have alread.l :
put in application. Every day 80 or more
| mon call at the consular bureau Of The
state department and ask for copies OF
the register VIII eh contains a list of all
the coasniships. with salary and feea.
Not one in score of these men will get
an appointment, but they appear TO take
great delight in turning the big globe
around and in poring over aliases with
the register in their hands.
| Nearly every nan who asks for con
| snlship has some excuse for his demand
| One wants to so abroad for his health
| Another daughter has fine voice. which
must be cultivated in European schools
A third is studying Scandinavian litera-
| ture with view TO making some trans
lations for which the world is yearning.
| There is tradition. yon know, thai
consulships may he rightfully used as q
| sort of convenient method Of pensionina
OF literary iellers. blt President Cleve
land doesn't uphold the tradition. and i
Iwere seeking consuiship I'd throw
literature to the dogs and pretend TO b
| a simple business man whose sole smbI
tion WAS to make a good coasui and de
yelop American trade as much as pcs
/ sible.
| An amusing story is told Of an off!cs
seeker from Georgia who wanted hi
congressman. Mr. Moses. to take him tt
| the president and ask for an appoint
| nsent- Mr.. Moses accompanied his con
stituent To the executive mansion ant
| paused in the lobby to talk with SON,
friends. Presently he stepped into tn
| elevator to go up to the library, bu
missed his constituent and asesndet
| without hin. The Georgian, who has
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