The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-20
PAWNS AMERICAN
FLAG FOR MONEY
TO BUY DRINKS
This and Other Serious
Charges Made Against
American Consuls in Mex
leo by Congressman Slay-
den of Texas -Asylums
for Drunkards.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. 1e.-
The house transacted considerable bus
mess today. Several miscellaneous
measures were passed. The consular
and diplomatic appropriation bill, the
third of the regular budgets, was pass
ed and fair progress was made with
the District of Columbia appropriation
bill.
During the consideration Of the dip
lomatic bill MI Mcclellan IN. W pre-
cipitated a discussion concerning our
displomatic and consular service, which
took a wide range and led to some
rather scandalous charges against our
consular representatives in Mexico by
Mr.. Slayden (Tex.). Some of the Mex
ican consulates he said, were made
regular asylums for 1nvalids and
drunkards." 1T makes an American
blush" said he ''to hear the stories that
are told of some of our official repre-
sentatives." He narrated how a
United States consul at Saltillo, Mex,
with two companions, last summer, en-
tered the Office of newspaper editor
to assault him.
Were any charges made to the state
department against this official?" asked
Mr.. Adams (Pa.).
Plenty Of Red Paint.
Charges have been repeatedly
made" replied Mr.. Slayden This
particular official left town between
night and morning, while j was in the
city" The particular vice. of our rep
resentatives, Mr.. Slayden proceeded to
say, seemed to be drunkenness, and in
| this connection he referred TO the case
of the special envoy sent by a Demo-
cratic president some years ago, who
| he said got drunk at Ell Paso and paint
ed broad red streak down to the City
| of Mexico, 1000 miles to the south
! He also told of consular official who.
he said, some years ago paWned the
American flag fors4 40 cents in order to
buy drinks. The concluding chapter
! Of his arraignment was the charge that
an American vice consul had been
| charged with being implicated in the
| theft of some coal
Mr.. Mcclellan submitted figures to
| show that our consulate, compared with
! those of other frst-class countries,
were underpafd but over manned. Mr..
| Grosvenor (Ohio) declared the charges
against our consular officials were un-
| justified, maintaining that it was the
! opinion of European publicists that we
] had the most efficient consular service
| in the world.
The senate amendments to the mill
/ tia bill were agreed to, which rasaA!
| the bill.
Lazy Day in the Senate.
| In the senate Mr.. Bailey (Tex.) oh
| jected to consideration by unanimous
consent of all bills from the Repub-
lican side, on the ground that the SEN
ators from New York had irlterfered
with a matter purely local to the state
of TeXas-the making of Port Arthur
| a port of entry. A discussion arose
which was terminated by Mr.. Cullon
moving an executive session to consid-
er the Cuban reciprocity treaty After
half an hour in executive session, the
doors We're reopened and Mr. Foraker
continued his remarks favoritg state
hood fer Oklahoma, Arizona and New
| Mexico.
The 64partment Of commerce and
| labor bill, as amended by. the house
| was referred to the committee on COM
merce. Mr.. Nelson wanted the bill sent
| to the conference at once but Messrs
| Spooner. Aldrich, Hale and others OBJ
! iected to that course, as it would pre-
vent an opportunity to amend the
| house amendments.