The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-13
Many Candidates for the
Post Of Consul.
The Applicants Must All Pass
Rigid Examination.
Hard to Secure Place Without First
Class Qualifications.

WASHINGTON. March 10 Special. IL
rs estimated by good authorities that ther,
are 10000 applicants for the 2ss consulal
appointments within the gift of President
Mckinney. From this il will be seen that
very large number of good men are doom
ed TO disappointment A member of the
presidents official household one of Tn,
clerks, who has been i'm the White Hous,
Tor many years, says the number OF appli
cants for consulships this year exceeds any
| thing he has ever known. This is explain
| eel IN part by the fact that SO many other
federal places have been put under tn,
civil service rules, and also by the business
depression from which the country has suf
fered, the latter operating 20 bring int,
competition for appointment to consu
lar places many business men wht
have hitherto depended upon themselve.
for livelihood and have scorned to seek
employment in the public service. Tn,
idea OF getting an appointment TO con
sular post Is indeed a fascinating one The
wonder is that there are not more candi
dates. Almost every man in the country
possessing fair education imaqines ht
would make good consul, and as he ano
his family talk 1t over and picture to them
selves the delights of "a foreign trip at tn,
expense of the government they grow very
enthusiastic about it.
A Roseate View.
Perhaps they have never been in En-
rode, and the prospect of trip across tn,
ocean pleases them immensely I've won't
have much to do, says the head of the
house, 'and we can live so much cheaper
over there, even II the salary isn't very
large. Yes" says the wife, land Il
VIII be such good opportunity for the
children to learn French and German. And
We can take little trips around on tho con
tinent and see everything that is to b.
seen.'
So they hunt up the atlas and tho guild,
books, and the railway and steamer sched
ules, and map out their voyage and de
eide how much they are going to speno
and how much save, and have real nice
timo over 1t. Then the head of the house
and future consul stirs about and gets in
dorsements from politicians and writes o
great many letters TO senator's and repre-
sentatives with whom he has more or les.
acquaintance, and the whole family |.
happy. The appointment will soon b.
made, and then the trunks will be packed
and away they will go to their post of duty.
Civil Service Reform.
these dreamers disappointment is in store.
Some one else gets tho prize. There art
altogether too many pegs FOR the holes, ano
some one has to fall by the wayside. One
of the first things the man who was ambi
tious enough to put in his application for
"a $4,000 consulship discovers is that
number of big politicians, men who hav,
claims upon the party and the president, |
are after It. OF course he is lost I'm th. |
shuttle. The more modest man, who goes |
In for little place, on the theory that
scarcely any one will bother about that
and that he will therefore have clear
road, soon learns that for the minor con
all, in fact, paying less thai
", 500 year--there Is a bothersome civi,
service examination. /
1t Is not true, as many suppose, that tht
have been placed under civil
service laws. The civil service commission