Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1895-06-21

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN IN COURT DRESS.
direct appointments do not exceed
1000, while there are more than 10000
appointments made by the members of
the cabinet of which the president
knows nothing. He has no time for
the consideration of such matters.
Nearly 10000 appointments of postmas-
tiers are made by the postmaster gener-
al; and he has also the disposal Of
many places of still less Importance
than postmasterships. In fact, the
great majority of appointments in the
postal service are made by the assist
ant postmasters general, with the tacit
approval of the head of the depart
ment. The secretary of the interior
and the secretary of the navy make
many thousands of appointments, and
the files of their appointment clerks
are overloaded with applications from
all parts of the country.
Nearly all of the positions in the de-
partment of state are filed by the presi-
dent; aud the late Secretary Blaine was
annoyed and exasperated because
President Harrison filed the majority
of the diplomatic and consular positions
without even consulting him. AS a
matter of fact this was the real cause of
the bitter feeling which existed between
Mr.. Blaine and President Harrison in
1912. Other presidents and secre-
taries of state have quarreled in similar
manner over the disposition of the
spoils of office. There is great deal
of unwritten history on this subject.
For some unaccountable reason APP
pointments to positions in the diplo-
matte service seem to be most desired
by our highclass office-seekers. They
want to go abroad as ministers or con-
suls to foreign governments. And yet
these positions scarcely pay enough for
decent frugal living to their incum.
bents. From the commencement of our
life this country has pursued
a policy of starvation toward its diplo-
matte representatives John Adams
afterwards president of the United
States, was our minister to the court
of Saint James. In 1857 the congress
cut down his salary by one-ffth and he
wrote to the department of state a
letter saying: 1--WE are to dine to-mor-
row at a table with $4,000 upon it and
the next day we return the civility by
inviting the same company to dine with
us upon earthenware. Depend upon
It, that nation which places its own
ambassadors at the tail of the whole
creation cannot expect itself to be soon
at the head" And yet, the same penuri-
GUS policy is pursued until this day.
Our representatives at foreign courts
IRE not paid enough to enable them to
present proper appearance as ENJOYS
of great republic.
We can thank Benjamin Franklin,
our minister to France, for making
precedent in this direction. His
gigantic tact told him that it would
never do to try a contest in dudery
with the courtiers of Louis XVI, so he
appeared in the presence OF that
monarch in homely attire, which the
king evidently did not consider to his
disadvantage when he said that Frank
I lin made him (Louis) 1.-THE second man
IN his own realm" Since that time
this country has become the richest in
the world, and plutocrats bursting
| NAtll NlOIldIS NdSSl IL pOAASAN
ing ituations from the govern
ment IN foreign parts. 1t is said
now that no man who is not a million
aire can afford to accept mission from
this country, so enormous is the ex-
pense of such an appointment. For,
say what you will, an ambassador to
! England or France feels the same
humiliation that afflicted John Adams
when he found himself unable to keep
his end up in behalf of the United
States with diplomats from other ma
tions. In small way the case is very
well illustrated by the situation of an
American naval officer of rank. Ssch
a man, in the service of Great Britain,
when exposed to necessity for enter
tanning, is supplied by his government
with a fund for the purpose, or is
authorized to send in bills to the adj
miralty. There are circumstances
ander which American naval officers
are put to really great expense in this
way. For instance, at the New Orleans
exposition an admiral was sent in com
mand of small feet to do honors on
the water for this country. There
were vessels present for complimentary