The San Francisco call., 1903-01-20
ACCUSES CONsULs
Of DRUNKENNESS
Slayden Of Texas Gre
ateS Sensation in
the House.
Makes Charges Against the
American Representa-
tives in Mexico.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19.-In the House
to-day several miscellaneous measures
were passed, among them the Senate Ha-
waiian fire claims biz. The consular
and diplomatic appropriation bill, the
third of the regular budgets, was passed,
and fair progress was made with the Dis
trict of Columbia appropriation oill.
During consideration Of the diplomatic
bill Mcclellan Of New York precipitated
a discussion concerning our diplomatic
and consular service which took wide
range and led to some rather scandalous
charges against our consular reprcsen-
tatives in Mexico, by Slayden Of Texas
Mcclellan submitted figures to show that
our consulates, compared with th2se OF
other first-cass countries. were under
paid but overmanned. GrosvenOr of
Ohio declared the charges against our
consular officials were unjustihed.
A bin to revoke the sentence OF court
martial against First Lieutenant Francis
S. Davidson, Ninth Cavalry, who was
dismissed from the army in 1879. and 10
authorize his appointment and retirement
as a first lieutenant. aroused some an
tagOnism. While the House was dividing
upon the demand for a second. phOtOg-
fiash-Iight photograph The glare Of the
flash startled some of the members, and
MIR. Sulzer of New York cried out;
"Mr Speaker. 1 thought it was
bomb.
NIr. Lawrence of Massachusetts, in sup
port OF the bill for the relief Of Lieuten-
ant Davidson, said the bill would do
tardy act of justice to a deserving officer
The bill was passed
A Senate bill was passed TO appropriate
8. 600 for the payment Of the Hawaiian
fire claims and TO authorize the territor-
ial government TO issue $4,000 in bonds
for the same purpose.
The Senate amendments to the militia
bTlI were agreed to, which passed the bill.
The House went into committee Of the
whole On the diplomats and consular ap-
preparation bill Slayden Of Texas criti-
cized very severely the character of our
consular officers abroad. especially some
of those in Mexico. Some of the Mexican
consulates, ne said, were made regular
asylums for ''invalids am drunkards.
1T makes an American blush. said
ne Ito hear the stories that are told OF
some Of our official representatives.
Proceeding he narrated how a United
States consul at SaltillO, Mexico. with
two companions last summer entered the
office of a newspaper editor TO assault
him.
Were any charges maze 10 Iue stare
Department against this Official?" asked
Adams of Pennsylvania.
Charges have been made repeatedly"
/ replied Slayden- This official left town
between night and morning while 1 was
| in the city"
| The particular vice Of our representa-
! tives. Slayden proceeded to say, seemed
l to be drunkenness, and in this connection
I he referred to the special envoy sent by
/ Democratic President some years ago.
+ who. he said. got drunk at FL PasO and
! painted a broad red streak down TO the
! City of Mexico, 1000 miles to the south.
/ He also told of a consular official who.
/ he said, some years ago pawned the
| American flag for 40 cents with which 10
! buy drink. 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
] Adams of Pennsylvania, a member OF
/ the Foreign Affairs Committee. said he
| was glad the question OF reforming our
consular service Twas attracting atten-
/ tiOn.