The Saint Paul globe., 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. 19.-
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 Mr.. Mcclellan On. W pre-
cipitated 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.. SIaylen CTex.). Some of the Mex
| ican consulates, he said, were made
regular asylumS for ''invalids and
| drunkards." 1T makes an American
blush" said he Ito hear the stories that
are told Of some of our official repre-
SentatiVes." He narrated how
United States consul at Salttllo, Mex,
with two companions, last summer, en-
tered the office of a newspaper editor
| to assault him.
Were any charges made to the state
department against this otficial?" asked
Mr.. Adams (Pa.).
TtSHIy OF REC TajnLs
Charges have been repeatedly
| made" replied Mr.. Slayden. This
| particular official left town between
night and morning, while 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 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 q consular official who
he said, some, years ago pawned the
| American flag for 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 first-class countries.
We're underpaid 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
''NN
| the bill
Lazy Day in the Senate.
In the senate Mr.. Bailey CTex.) 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 interfered
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.. Cullom
| moving an executive session TO cOnsid-
er the Cuban reciprocity treaty. After
| half an hour in executive session, the
! doors were reOpened and Mr.. Foraker
| continued his remarks favOritg state
| hood fer Oklahoma, Arizona and New
| Mexico.
The d4partment 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.