The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-14
UNITED STATES CONSULS
MADE FOR POLITICAL REASONS,
THEY DIsCREDIT THE COUNTRY.
In Some Foreign Cities the Term
Responsibilities of the Office.
George Horton in Chicago Post


would be- and have almost invariably re-
ceived the somewhat vague reply: ITO give
advice when one is in trouble"
What a mistaken idea! The American citi-
zen travelling in any civilized foreign coun-
try is subject to the laws of that country,
and if he transgresses them, the consul cam
not interfere. In a barbarous land, where
tortures are employed in examination the
American accused of crime is turned over to
his consul for trial.
The term trouble however, is very lib
orally construed by the travelling public.
Ladies, for instance, usually pounce down
upon the consul and demand that he go with
them and help pass their trunks through
the custom house. Many Americans think
the consul is sort of combined dragoman
and peripatetic information bureau, who
should lead them about town in the search
for rugs, medieval arms or olive wool
curios, and tell them at the same time where
genuine Havana cigars are to be found,
where the American dentist resides, and
who the best native barber is.
This belief in the unimportant nature of
the consuls duties is often fostered by the
conduct of that official himself Our foreign
representatives serve for so short a time
that most of them never learn why they
were sent abroad. All they know definitely
is that they have been plucked up by the
roots out of the dull, arid soil of daily rou-
tine and have been transplanted among the
olive groves of Italy for the palms of a south
sea isle at somebody else's expense, and all
because they voted the right way and some
friend of theirs has a pull with Senator
Spoonbill of ArkanSaW, or Chairman Plum
dun of the central committee. Not d word is
asked as to fitness or to any unfinished
business which the sitting consul may have
on hand
Despite all the protests and appeals of
business men and of the better class Of
American citizens generally consular ap-
pointments are to-day made for purely po-
Iitlcal reasons. So many of the offices have
been put under ciVil-Service rules that the
great pressure of purely political interest
has focused, so to speak, upon the con-
sulates. The so-called examinations are,
necessarily, a farce. The estimable gentle
man who was appointed to Patras under
Mr.. Cleveland prepared himself in modern
Greek by taking half a dozen lessons. and,
though he passed his examinations and got
the job, he couldn't say good morning
in the language of Greece. | do not say this
in derogation of the gentleman, who is an
the facts himself.
A recent >appointee to another post whom
| met the other day. cannot write English
Tor any other language. for that matter),
and yet he passed most satisfactory ex-
his post he realizes that there is no possible
connection between his retention in office
and the manner in which he performs his
work. So long as he keeps solid with
Senator SpoC mill and the latter remains in
power. the consul is safe; if either of these
conditions change, all is lost. The consul
may remain drunk the whole four years (as
one that know Of did. and while his po-
htical friends keep on top he will be un-
disturbed.
CHANGES IN OFFICE.
He may, on the other hand, perform the
most distinguished services, but out he goes
all the same if the administration changes.
The best results cannot be obtained in this
way by any business concern, and what IS
the government but a great commercial
house? In other words, if it isn't there Tor
business, what is it there for?
Realizing the insecurity of his tenure, the
consul usually, unless he is a man of means,
tries to save money during his four years
Of office. He has given up his business, and
he will be compelled to start anew when he
returns to his native land. Others will have
taken his place, his friends will have died
or made Few arrangements and he will find
himself at a decided disadvantage in the
struggle for eXistence-and with four wears
added to his life He does not, therefore,
attempt to keep up his office as respectfully
as the representatives of the other great
fervid patriotism.
In some foreign cities the phrase "Amer-
lean consulate has come to mean, in the
native vernacular, mean or dingy office or
building. The renter says: Are you ask
ing me so much d month for that hole?
why, it's regular American conSulater l
nave heard the expression myself in more
than one foreign tongue. The consul can
not be blamed for living cheaply as he
dismissal. and, however adequate his
salary may be, he feels that he must live
as economically as possible. Too often he
lives meanly. Any Travelled American if he
be honest, can tell stories of consulates
which disgrace the dignity of the greatest,
most glorious and most powerful nation on
of th0 ofoIl-
are full Of such stories.
That lovable and talented woman and
dear friend of mine. Mrs. John A. Logan,
told me of an experience she had in Ger
many. She had taken rooms in one of the
best hotels in a certain town. She had not
long been established when she was nearly
driven out of doors by an insufferable,
stencil of frying onions. She summoned the
landlord and demanded that the nuisance
ing, madam, replied the affable but i'm
potent landlord. THE stencil of which YOU
complain proceeds from the rooms of your
American consul. He does his own cook
ing on an oil stove and he is very fond of
onions. 1 consider it to my advantage to
have the consul in the house. and if your
high-born excellency can manage to find the
extremely GRATEFUL
any way of the charming lady's opinion
on the subject of consulates. / believe she
holds that Ito the victors belong the
NO SENSE OF DIGNITY.
A consul with whom am personally ac-
quainted appears on his threshold every
morning in democratic shirt sleeves and
sweeps down the doorsteps with his own
official hands. The same gentleman, hear
ing the bell ring one day. opened the door
himself and was confronted by the wife of
the United States minister
What can 1 do for you, MADAME" he
asked.
II came to call upon the ladies' she re-
piled.
oh" said the consul Wont you be
seated? I'll tell them and they'll be down to
see you just as soon as they can get into
their good clothes. The ladies are up stairs
Scrubhing."
Now, it cannot be denied that many a
real lady has scrubbed floors, but it must
also be admitted that there is such thing
as modus vivendi, and also such another
thing as doing in Rome the Romans
do"
The American consul who goes abroad
expecting to be admitted into good society
because of his official position finds to his
disgust that the fact of his being an
American consul is decidedly against him
He must make his position in spite of that
fact. The people Of the country among
whom he is sent, knowing the way our ail-
pointments are made and the class of people
that are sometimes sent over, must trst
satisfy themselves as to whether or not the
official is a proper person with whom to
associate was talking not long ago with
a lady who had visited a gentleman who
Tod