The Progress., 1893-10-07

One Of these Americans argued to me for
an hour with the utmost seriousness and
earnestnesJ that we should not have an
honest and worthy government in America
until we stopped paying salaries to high
officials. He admitted that this would
make it impossible for poor men to hold
these high places, but he insisted that this
was exactly the reform that the times were
crying for. This man was laboring under
the impression that there is vast deal of
corruption in our government at Washing
ton. lie has been too busy travelling in Eu-
rope and spending his money there to be
able to acquire much information rs to- what
is going on in his own country. His theory
was, therefore, that, inasmuch as there
were corruption, bribery and theft in the
government at Washington. these evils
must be the product of the poverty of tho
officials. Not being a poor man himself,
nor ever having been one, his father be
queathing him an ample fortune, this per
son was wholly unable to conceive that
man might be poor and honest even though
surrounded by tempta lions.
His panacea for these imaginary troubles
was of course to put none but rich men in
the important Offices, on the theory that If
a man had plenty of money and an assured
income he could not be tempted by the arts
and wles of the bribcr. OF course it in
volved upon me to inform this man that
there is so little corruption or bribery in
Washington that it takes n very smart
man to find more than one or two cases IN
the course of a decade. And of course
took occasion, somewhat pOintedly and
perhaps unpleasantly, to express my opin-
ion of an American citizen who would ar
que that in our country the poor man was
to he deliberately barred from playing an
important part in the operations of his
government, and that control of legislation
and the administration of the law were to
be handed over bodily to a coterie Of
wealthy aristOcrats.
/ Yet this is precisely what we are doing
/ with our first class foreign missions. | in
sst that poor men or men in moderate
/ circumstances have just as good "A right to
aspire to be minister at Rome or embassa-
dor at Paris or London as man who has
been fortunate enough to acquire riches.
There should be nothing whatever in the
system or its details which initiate against
the poor man and in favor of the wealthy.
But if our first class European diplomatic
posts are to he anything but pawns for
which men of wealth are to bid and in
trigue, while poor men are forever debarred
from aspiring to them, our congress must
take the bull by the horns and raise the
salaries of our ministers to "A respectable
level. The salaries which we pay our Lon
don, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Rome, Madrid,
St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Athens, Con-
stantinople ministers, and for that matter
Bolivia in South America, to which
Charles ii. j. Taylor, colored, has recently
been appointed, should be at least doubled
in every case. These salaries should be
sufficient to enable the minister to liv /.
comfortably in good state, to entertain and
be hospitable without recourse to his pri-
vate income Even after doubling the sal
aries which we now pay we would not en-
pend as much money in this direction as
the first class European nations expend in
the same manner and places.
A Reform Needed.
Other great reforms are needed in our
diplomatic system and must be instituted
soon if we are to obtain that benefit and adj
vantage from foreign representation which
we have the right to expect. One of these
is permanent diplomatic corps-that Is 10
say, we must put young men in training
for a career of diplomacy and assure them
that so long as they not only do their work,
| but progress in the direction of wider use
fulness and greater ability, they will he
maintained and promoted. All European
governments have systems similar to this,
and the rule with them is, "Once diplo-
mat. and successful one, always diplo-
mat" The members of this corps learn
not only the modern languages, but become
familiar with the many intricate arts OF
Diplomacy and of official intercourse which
are so essential to success.
The other reform which should be insti
tuted in our diplomatic service is the ac
quirement all over the world of permanent
legation houses. England has with advan
tage pursued this plan for a long time. In
all the capitals of the world and in many
cities which are not capitals England owns
her own legation houses and consular build
ings. We should initiate her example I'm
der our present system the residence and
Office of minister are wherever he chooses
tolocate them. Thus it is moved about from
one part of the city to another, as ministers
come and go, sometimes to a location that
Is convenient for American travellers and
sometimes not.
One minister may choose a residence that
is fitting and dignified, while another, eager
to save expenses, may move to some inac
cessible or questionable street. At best
one can never be quite sure where to find
the representative of his country. Last
year it was in such place, the traveller viii
be told at his hotel, but a new minister
having arrived it is now located some otheI
place, and one will be fortunate if he finds
this some other place without much trouble
or delay.
The advantage of owning legation build
ing is that it may be a building suitable fo'
the purpose and of a character consistent
with the impor
& tance and dignity
of the U nitet
~ States, in perma
9 -~ nent location. serv
~ ~ ing as headquar
~ IAA ters for the Amer
jAilAfE sg lean colony and {
hs, place of refuge fol