Omaha daily bee., 1894-02-05
THE CONSULAR SERVICE AND POLITICS

THE CONSULAR SERVICE AND POLITICS.
At the recent meeting OF the National
Board Of Trade a resolution was adopted
asking congress to take action with a view
to divorcing the consular service from poll
tics. This idea has been frequently ad-
vanced, but it has never seemed to meet
with much favor and 1t Is not to be expected
that It will receive any serious attention
from the present administration or congress.
Indeed. there is every reason to believe that
it will get none at all. This admins
tratlon had an excellent opportu-
nifty, If it had been disposed to
apply civil service reform principles to the
consular service. to make a record in this
direction, but 1t did not avail itself of the
chance. On the contrary, 1t pursued a policy
with respect to this service that will long be
memorable as in utter disregard of reform
principles. 1t seems to have been a part of
the arrangement under which Judge Ores
ham accepted the Office of secretary of state
that he would have nothing to do with the
distribution of consular appointments. In
this matter he did not want to perform the
work of a partisan and to assume
the cares and responsibilities incident to
such a duty. In order to relieve him of
this task a spoils democrat was appointed
to take charge of these appointments and
the country is familiar with the course he
pursued. A sweeping removal of consuls
known to be republicans was inaugurated
and their places filed by democrats, with
little regard for their qualifications. The
test was that of political services rendered
rather than capability. HN Hf
Mr.. Cleveland has said some commendable
things regarding the necessity of reform in
the consular service and in his first admin
istration, when he gave a great deal of per-
sonal attention to appointments in this serv-
ice, he furnished reason to believe in the sim
cerity of his utterances. But there is moth
ing in the course of his present administra-
ton regarding this service which warrants
such faith. On the contrary, there is reason
to believe that he has yielded to the demand
that the consular establishment shall be used
as far as possible for rewarding politi-
clans who are unable to obtain
any consideration from home con-
stituencies or who have personal reasons for
desiring to live for a time abroad. Upon no
other hypothesis can his apparent acquies-
cence in the course pursued by Mr.. Quincy,
as assistant secretary Of state, be explained
"a course, it is pertinent to remark, which
has been unqualifedly condemned by the
civil service reformers, many of whom were
among the most ardent supporters of Mr..
Cleveland in the last presidential campaign.
The proposition that the consular serv-
ice of the country ought to be governed
by strict business principles is absolutely
sound and until this idea is fully realized
the service can never be as useful and
n blatant oe ~ n,rlt 90 Io III - ~. aa-~
mercial nations of Europe act upon this
principle and their experience endorses it's
wisdom. Positions In the consular serv-
ice of Great Britain. France and Germany
are life positions, with chances of advance
ment. This tenure is not affected by po-
litical changes. The United States cannot
attain the best results from this service
until 1t shall have adopted a like policy.