The Portland daily press., 1893-04-19
Especial Correspondence

Candidate
Especial Correspondence
WASHINGTON, April 6.-There is very
small chance for poor man to win
fame in the higher ranks of the Ameri-
can diplomatic service. The first class
missions can be held only by men who
are able to spend each year large sum
from their private purses. Ex-Secretary
Bayard. for instance, will pay dearly for
the honor of being the first ambassador
this nation ever sent across the water.
At London he will receive salary of
s17,5O0 year, and his expenses will
probably be just about twice this sum.
When Mr.. Phelps was minister at Lon
don and Ex-Governor Waller of Connect
icut consul general at the same place,
the minister md the consul general oc-
casionally compared notes on their finan-
cial status. One day after conversation
on this topic Minister Phelps proposed
to Waller that they exchange places dur
ing the remaining two years that they
expected to remain there. ''You see
Waller" said he, Il get salary of $17,-
300 d year and spend little more than
$50, 600 year, as discover by looking
over my handbook. On the other hand,
you take in. salary and fees together,
about $4,000 a year, and you say your
living expenses do not much exceed ST.
600 month. So, if you will agree, we'll
simply exchange places for the next two
years, and that will bring us both out
even. What do you say?"
When congress gave the president
the power to send an ambassador to
countries sending an ambassador hither,
it did not authorize any increase in the
salary, and hence ambassador Bayard
and ambassador Eustis and the other
ambassadors, if we have any, will have
to meet the demands upon their more
exalted rank out of their own pockets
France and England, on the other hand,
allow their ambassadors good deal
more money per- year than they do
their mere ministers, and it is be-
ieved Sir Julian Pauncefote's salary
and allowances from the British gov
eminent as ambassador at Washington
will run well up toward $4,000 year
The British minister at the City of
Mexico is allowed about $4,000 year
all told, and he spends it all, or nearly
all, in sumptuous entertaining. The din
ners which he gives in the Mexican cap
ital are described as truly royal, and their
richness quite puts in the shade the eff
forts of our poorly paid representative at
that capital. A few years ago our min
lister to Mexico was paid only $4,000 a
year, but minister after minister finding
it impossible to maintain the dignity of
the United States on that sum without
plunging himself into bankruptcy con-
gress very reluctantly raised the mission
to the first class.
If Minister Gray goes into entertain
ing at all-and it is difficult to see how
he can avoid doing SO and hope to main
tain status which will be satisfactory
to himself and his government will
find his salary of SIT, 500 year scant
enough. That looks like a big sum of
money to most of US, but it doesn't go
very far with foreign minister. Besides,
Mexico has one of the gayest and most
prodigal capitals in the world. All the
wealth of that country nearly is owned
in the City Of Mexico. It is land of
glorious climate, soil and resources, but
teens with poverty stricken millions.
The wealth is controlled by few, and
these fortunate families live in splendor
in the capital city.
There is little or no manufacturing in
the country, and excessive import taxes
are levied upon everything bought in
the United States or Europe. For in
| stance, there are no breweries in Mex
leo, and the imported beer costs so cents
bottle. No wine is produced in the
country, and as the rich will have wine
| they find it necessary to pay enormous
prices. The truth is, wouldn't take
| the Mexican mission as gift. In addi-
ton to the necessity Of spending all of
ones salary and throwing in his time as
| worth nothing, one must run enormous
chances of ending his days there. The
city has no drainage 1t lies reeking in
the accumulated filth of centuries. Who
would want to leave the glorious United
States and live in hole like that four
years simply for the purpose of acquir-
ing little fame?
Much more sensible would it be for a
man to stay at home and devote his
energies to something for the benefit of
his fellow man. Take, as an example,
the case of Professor Langley, secretary
Of the Smithsonian institution. For
several years this man has devoted his
great learning and his wonderful energy
to the development Of flying machine.
He spends his days at the institution
earning the salary which is paid him,
and he does earn it too. But don't be-
lieve he would admit cabinet minister
to his house in the evening. After din
ner is the golden hour which he devotes,
and which he has devoted for several
years, to work upon his device All
social invitations, all the fieeting vanities
of the world, he eschews with the rigor
of religious recluss. Ee has no time
for frivolity. Life 10 TOO short with this
man to waste an hour that might be de-
voted to science. Is it not admirable?
Of course it is, and the results of all