The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-17
VAN ALIENS EMPTINESS.
A Newport NcighbOr Tcstifics to His
Ignorance and BOOrishness-

Correspondence New York Evening Post
When it is conceded by anybody that the
appointment of Mr.. Van Allen as minister
10 Italy, aside from the money question: Is
fit and proper one, a great mistake is
made. The Evening Post has conceded too
much. This appointment ought to be- OPP
posed, not alone because of the money scan
dial involved in it, but because Mr. Van
Allen, from training and education and from
lack of capacity, is totally unfit for this
any other responsible office under the gov
eminent of the United States. 1 have
known Mr.: Van Allen for many years, and
knew his father before him. He may have
had a fair education TO start with, but he
is not a man of learning, of culture, or OF
ability. His intellectual attachments con-
cording to the English standard, how to give
dinner, and how to harness and drive
Gour,in-hand Add to this very super
fetal knowledge of pictures and English
knowledge of French novels, and you have
the sum total of his intellectual resources.
Everybody who has met and talked with
Van Alien at his clubs, at dinner, or In
society knows that a more ignorant man
Country Gould hardly Iy't be found in polite
society," and everybody who knows him
would say so except the few of the smart
set" whose eyes have been dimmed and
their mouths closed by his wines and his
viands. and n few who feel bound TO sup
port his claims to an office by reason OF his
payment of $4,000 towards the election OF
Mr.. Cleveland. OF this country's history,
its material resources, It's manufacturing,
commercial and financial interests; of the
lives and achievements of our great men,
he knows little nothing. The average
schoolboy of fourteen knows more. I VEN
ture to say that to-day, If he were asked
he could not tell you, without being
crammed. the number and names of the
States of this Union, how or when the Con-
were the result of our great civil war,
what were the questions and controversies
leading up to that war, when the proc
lamation of emancipation was issued, or
the grounds upon which Mr.. Lincoln based
his right and power to issue that proc
lamation Upon all such matters and sub
jccts Mr. Van Allen knows as little and all
his life has cared as little, as dude about
Scottish theology.
plain people of this country-their mode
of life, their struggles, thoughts, hopes and
fears, he knows and cares nothing. His
natural manners are atrociously bad. I
have known him to be introduced to q re-
spectacle gentleman on one evening ut Il
club, and the next evening, when the gem
placed his monocle in his eye, fixed the
offender with what he fancied was his
stony British stare" and turned on his
heel. Time and again / have seen him in
PRODUCED to men whom he was I'm the habit
of seeing and whom he knew perfectly well,
living within few blocks of him.. and
meeting the same men within few hours
would cut them dead. THAT felIah is not
in our set, don't cher know
He is naturally surly and gIuff, except
with those whose favor he is seeking to
win, an Anglomaniac of the worst type
veneered American English veneer), in
his heart loathing all things American ex-
cept the few of his own ilk with whom he
hobs and nobs. whom he wines and dimes
and by whom he is wined and dined-about
as unamerican an American as could be
found in America.
1t is time that somebody spoke the truth
about this matter, and that the attention
OF the Senate were called to the kind and
type of man who Is before it for con-
frmation minister to the court of a
great power.
Were a civil-service examination to be
held, Van Allen could not pass as counsel
to Timbuctoo Is this the kind of q man
for diplomatic service-to represent the
American people at a foreign court? In
tines of controversy or when the rights of
an American citizen should be involved
what kind of a man would this be to pre-
sent intelligently and periodically maintain
the honor of our government and the rights
of her citizens?