The Savannah morning news., 1903-04-05
AN OFFICE SEEKING A MAN.

| AN OFFICE SEEKING n MAN.
We learn from the Washington Fos st
that the office of consul of the United
! States at Guayaquil, the chief seaport
/ of Ecuador, is going a-begging. No
body wants IT, notwithstanding the
| fact that the post is worth 81 900 to
81, 900 per annum, with short hours and
easy duties. Where is Ohio; where is
| Massachusetts, when there is a call
for some patriotic son to immediate
| himself upon the altar of his country
for a consideration? Are the tradi-
tons of these political divisions to be
set aside IN the case of Guayaquil? Is
there no patriot within the borders of
these homes of statesmen who will
hasten to the cali Of duty, and thus
be on hand on salary days? Guaya-
quill is a city of some 10000 population.
1t has theaters, clubs and swell soci-
ETY., as well as hospitals, lazarettos and
pest houses. There are ball rooms and
moon-lit balconies, as wen as fever
wards and morgues. The people dance
there as well as die. The evenings are
made melodious by katydids as well as
mosquitoes, and the firefiies are reIa-
lively as numerous as the housefies.
Why, then, is there this remarkable
reluctance about taking the consulate
at Guayaquil?
1t is true that Consul Thomas Mast.
the famous cartOonist, succumbed to
the yellow fever after a few weeks
residence there. 1t is true, also, that
the man who was appointed to succeed
Mr.. Mast didn't wait to unpack his
trunks when he reached the post, but
took the first boat back home and
couldn't be induced to return for ST.
600 900. A third truth is that Mr.. Bow
en-, who was invited to succeed the
successor of Mr.. Mast has declined
with thanks, since he does not wish to
sacrifice his life insurance policy. But
what has all of that got to do with
the duty and right of American citi-
zens to hold office?
They say there is yellow fever in
Guayaquil, and that the unacclimated
American is sure to catch it and pass
in his chips, If he stops a week in the
town. But isn't that an unwarranted
assumption? The scientific sharps
have told us that yellow fever is dis
tributed through the medium of mos
quito bites; that to prevent the fever
it is only necessary to kill or defy
the mosquitoes. And have not these
Scientific fellows demonstrated their
claim by freeing Havana and Santiago
da C11Ia ~ II;
off the mosquitoes? In the Cuban cities
named the fever had been prevalent
for hundreds of years, summer and
winter, up to the time of the Ameri-
can occupation and securing and oil
pouring. Now, according to the cffi-
cial reports, there has been no case of
yellow jack" in either city for many
months. And if Havana has been
made immune to the fever, why should
not Guayaquil? Indeed, it does not
seem to be necessary to wait for a
cleaning up and oiling of the Ecua-
consul has to do is to protect himself
against the anopheles mosquito, and
thus bid defiance to yellow fever. With
thick veil, some yards of netting,
heavy rubber gloves and boots and
four-ply clothing, he ought to be able
to keep mosquitoes from biting him.
AS a matter of fact, we confidently ex-
pect to see some Ohio politician shortly
accept the assignment and make use of
the preventives that we have sug-
gested.