Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1893-04-13
A DIsGRACEFUL APPOINTMENT.
An Ez-Member of the Knights of the Golden
Circle Appointed Minister to Den
mark.


and most industrIously re-
peated by his admirers, and particu
Iarly by the Mugwumpian portion OF
them, that his was to be eminently a
clean administration. The diplo-
matte service, we have been told ever
since Mr.. Cleveland's election, was to
be filed by men whose names and his
tories would do honor to this repub-
lie There was something OF impu-
dence in all this gabble, for the osten-
tatious parading of Cleveland's intent
to make the service honorable to the
country carried withit an insinuation
that OF late it had not been filled by
men whose names reflected honor upon
it.
We say that this prattle of Cleve-
lands high resolve was no more or
less than impudent gabble. For it
does not lie in Mr.. Cleveland's power
to select men more illustrious than
those of Lincoln and Grant, which
now represent the United States in
foreign countries. Nor has Mr.. Har-
rison's administration been at fault
in single instance as to the choice OF
men of unimpeachable character to
fill the diplomatic posts, and but in
one instance has it been fault in the
selection of a diplomat whose fitness
was questionable on other than moral
grounds. Yet everybody knows that
was remarkable for the clumsiness OF
it's attempts to adjust the demands0f
would-be diplomats to the exigencies
OF the diplomatic service.
But, whatever were the infelicities oil
Mr.. Cleveland's earlier essaysin diplo-
macy, it has been lett for his second
term to develop a thoroughly disgrace
full appointment. We allude to that
OF Mr.. John +. Risley as minister to
Denmark. The court OF Denmark,
though one OF the smallest, is one of
the most punctilious i'll Europe, and
it is to this court that Mr.. Cleveland
sends man who Is branded by his
old comrades in disloyalty as trai-
tor to a traitorous cause, and as an
embezzler of its funds.
The evidence of Mr.; Risley's former
connection with the disloyal order oil
the Knights of the Golden Circle is be-
yond question. 1t is as well known in
Indiana that Risley was high in the
councils of that order as that Morton
was governor of the state, or that Ben
COLONEL .,f fNf irSr
ments. The loyal record of Morton
and Harrison is rot more generally
comprehended in Indiana than the dis
loyal record of John E. Risley, whom
Mr.. Cleveland has appointed minister
to Denmark.
But worse remains to be told. Mr.
Risley seems to have been as disloyal
to his comrades in disloyalty as they
were toward the governments OF the
state and nation. For the most part
the Knights of the Golden Circle wer,
poor, ignorant farmers. Risley was 8
well-educated and shrewd lawyer
They intrusred to his keeping som,
500 which they had contributed
for the purpose OF buying arms to b'
used in n revolt against India, u anC
the United States With this he wen
10 view IOTky upon IL he iiNSu NhGl'
while the courts were dealing heavil!
with some of the comrades that b
left behind him, and with it he lai'
the foundation of a somewhat success
ful career, as money counts for sue
cess. His plundered Democratic com
rades protest as strongly against hi
appointment as do the loyal people c
Indiana. The yalists protest agains
his disloyalty; his ancient comrade
in disloyalty protest against his di:
honesty. He seems to have had a
the vices and none OF the virtues of
conspirator.
1t is to be hoped that Mr.. Clevelan
may recall this most unfortunate an
most disgraceful appointment.-Inte
Ocean.