Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1895-06-15


1000, while there are moro than 15O, 900
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-
ters are made by the postmaster gcner-
nj; and he has also the disposal of
many places of still less Importance
than postmastcrships. In fact, the
great majority of appointments in the
postal service are madc 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; and the late Secretary Blaine was
annoyed and eXaspcrated 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 quarrelcd in similar
manner over the disposition of the
spoils of office. There is great deal
of unwritten history on this subject.
For some unaccountablc reason APP
pointments to positions in the diplo-
matte service seem to be most desired
by our highclass oifice-seckers. 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
national life this country has pursued
policy of starvation toward it's diplo-
matte representatives John Adams,
afterwards president of the United
States, was our minister to the court
of Saint James. In 1877 the congress
cut down his salary by one-fifth and he
wrote to the department of state
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
1t, that nation which places it's own
ambassadors at the tail of the whole
creation cannot expect itself to be soon
at the head" And yet, the same pcnuri-
GUS policy is pursued until this day.
Our representatives at foreign courts
are 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 n 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
lin made him CLouf3) ''thc second man
in his own realm" Since that time
this country has become the richest In
the world, and plutocrats bursting
with dollars arc eager in solicit
ing ituations from the govern
ment IN foreign parts 1t is said
now that no man who is not million
airc can afford to accept mission from
this country, SO enormous is the OK
pense of such an appointment. For,
say what You will, an ambassador to
England or Franco 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
tons. In small way the case is very
we'll illustrated by the situation Of an
| American naval officer of rank. Such
man, in the service of Great Britain,
when exposed to n necessity for enter
tanning, is SUI 1licd by his government
with fund for the purpose, or is
authorized to send in bills to the ad-
miralty. There are circumstances
under 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 fleet TO do honors on
the water for this country. There
were vessels present for complimentary