The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-05-23
THE UNITED STATES AS A HOST.

It is not pleasant to learn that our
Government has been so niggard in pro-
viding for the entertainment of the del
egates to the Postal Congress that the
American section of it is blushing for
shame. This congress represents the
representatives or delegates are all
picked men. We solicited them TO come,
urged them to come, and they gracious
" acceded Now, as a first nation we
were bound to do the handsome"
handsomely Every American expected
that our Government would maintain
its dignity, but that it would without
ostentation also maintain it's reputa
ton as a liberal host.
But. if the Washington correspond
ents tell the truth, and they appear to
state the facts fairly, we are not play
ing the part of host well. Compared
with the reception and entertainment
of the congress by other and even weak
err nations, our reception and care for
its comfort and pleasure is very little
short of niggardly. it is SO severely
economical.
In hard times ii is wise for those who
need to do SO to economize; indeed, it
is imperative upon them. But with
those who have in plenty it is a duty
in hard times to spend more freely than
in any other season. The period when
the rich should most dsburse is the pc
riod when other people are most pushed
for money and employment.
The Government is not a pauper. 1t
is not just now affluent as to treasury,
but it had no need to put up any poor
mouth before invited guests. What it
expends among them goes into circu-
lation among the people, and it is there
fore fair investment, besides giving our
guests that which is their due, namely,
reasonable entertainment and social at
tention
But the Populistic element among us,
which is forever bowling about econo-
my while advocating bunghole waste
full and uneconomic measures, is stirred
to wrath if anything in the form of a
junket Is gotten up nowadays, and this
probably had deterrent influence upon
Congress and the Government. Certain
1t is, we are not entertaining the Postal
Congress as other nations have done
and as others will.
We may be sufficient unto ourselves
and care nothing for the judgment Of
others, yet We apprehend that the mass
of our people favor the attention to the
invited guest that will send him away
with words OF praise and admiration in
his mouth rather than with regret and
disappointment There is something
special due to the character of guest in
everyday life. The laws OF hospitality
demand something Of departure out of
the common in his behalf. When a ma
ton has welcome guest, how much
more should his character inspire his
treatment In that case national dig
nifty, pride and usage demand of the
host not only good deal of formality,
but a good deal more of solicitous at
tention and extension of courtesies.
All this is short" in the present en-
tertainment of the congress Of the Pos
tai Union. The appropriation in the
first place was too small and in the
next the officers appear to be afraid to
expend even that. In fact, the CORE
spondent of the New York Post" de-
clares that we are acquiring the repu-
tation of being stingy and even mean in
our social relations with other nations.
He cites as an example this incident:
1T will be recalled that the Worlds
Fair diplomas, instead of being deliv-
cred. express prepaid to the foreigners
who had earned them were boxed up at
our Bureau OF Printing and Engraving
and delivered at the respective lega-
tons in this city. When Sir Julian
Pauncefote found twenty-eight dry
goods boxes, filled with medals and di-
plomas piled up in his yard, he polite
ly inquired at the State Department
whether the cost of the shipment of
these articles was to be borne by our
Government or his own, and when he
was told that ours had made no provis-