Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-24

again to submit to injury or insult. In our
civil war, Dupont and Porter and FarEagut
and their comrades proved themselves
worthy of the fame. and the navy of today
stands ready to emulate the deeds of the
heroes of the past.
Whoever aims blow at trade. whatever
may be the purpose, strikes at the farmer,
the miner, the manufacturer and at all
labor, for the surplus products of all in
duStry are for sale, and trade must have
an outlet to market. Thomas Jefferson,
the strict constructionist, bought the
Louisiana territory, violating, as he him.
self said. the Constitution of his country
because we could not afford to have the
mouth Of the Mississippi controlled by a
foreign nation,with the right to levy tribute
on trade.
Those statesmen of my section Who in
1861, believed that secession would be
peaceable separation had forgotten this
lesson 1t was useless for us of the south
to argue the question of constitutional
right. An outlet to the gulf was an alb
solute necessity to the people of the north
west. and they could not consent to dis
menbernent of the Union. Mr.. jefferson
was right when. he bought Louisiana, and
Mr.. Lircoln vas right when he said, in
1861, this country Is geographically one;
and happily for all of us, it is now settled
that this is to be for all time to come. po-
litically, as 1T Is geographically, one coun-
try"
DR.. A. W. Raymond, Representative Tom
l.. johnson, Senator Lodge, David Mcclure
Improving the Consular Service.
Senator Lodge said that the extension Of
the spoils system to the American consular
service came after the present administra-
ton came in. Prior to that time although
the great body of the consuls had been
changed on every change of party, the re-
movals and appointm were made grad
ually and certain number of men were
retained in some of the more important
posts through different succeeding admin
istrations.'
The changes since March 4, 1898, have
been as follows:
1T ought to be stated In this connection
that a number of the thirty-two consuls
thus retained were appointeeS of Mr.. Cleye-
land during his first term and continued to
hold office under Gen. Harrison. In these
cases, of course, political pressure would
be brought to bear for retention and not
for removal under a democratic admins
tration."
Mr.. Lodge continued: 1.-THE monstrous
abSurdty of turning out of Office men who
have no political duties. but who are charg-
ed with important business functions, every
time an administration changes has been
made painfully apparent. 1t has brought
sharply home to us the explanation of the
consular incompetency of which our mer
chants so often complain, and of the ig-
norance and unfitness which so frequently
makes an American traveller blush for the
representative of his country and his flag in
Il foreign ianu. hence, a QemdnQ mas gone
up from business associations everywhere
that something should be done to reform
the system under which such performances
are possible, and to give proper protection
to the great business interests which are
so deeply concerned in having first rate
consular service.
THE great business interests of the
United States require in the consular serv-
ice experienced and trustworthy men cap
able of promoting our trade and commerce.
and of reporting intelligently upon those
subjects which are of interest to our peo-
ple.''
Mr. Lodge explained the bin which he had
consular service dependent upon merit.
Continuing he said: II am very far from
saying that selecting men for government
service by system of examination is an
ideally perfect system, but / say without
any hesitation that it is so infinitely SUI
perior to a system which makes the routine
offices of the government the spoils of po-
litical patronage that no comparison is
possible between them. Political patronage
makes favoritism the rule for selection for
the public service and favoritism is utterly
un-American. a fair field and no favor is
the American principle and should be ap-
piled to all non-political offices in the gov
eminent service. We get and We shall con-
tinue to get better service for the public
under the civil service reform methods
and yet this, after all, is but a secondary
reason for civil service reform. We want
to get rid of political patronage wherever
il is possible because it is an injury and
degradation to our politics and our public
life"