The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-03-25
MEN OF CHARACTER
President Desires Men in Diplomatic
Service With Horse Sense as
Well as Party Sense

AoASS AZ 40
Well as Party Sense
Washington, March %. = There
are rumors about the White house
Il State department of evil days
ahead for the butterflies of our dip
lomatic service. 1t is said Mr.. Taft
has conceived the idea that our M
bassadors and ministers should be
something more than leaders of CO.
tillions in the capitals to which they
are assigned; that while social ac-
complishments are desirable in a dip
lomat, their possession should not
be the lone and sole test for appoint
ment. And it is said further hat if
the President can't find men with
horse sense and social sense to fill
the posts, horse sense is going to
have the preference. Horse sense has
been conspicuously lacking in the
makeup OF some of our diplomats
who are vast successes in a social
way.
1t was n of the paradoNes of the
Roosevelt administration that, virile
and masculine as was the president,
at more than one foreign capital.
The explanation probably is that,
great as was Mr.. Roosevelt as a re-
former, he couldn't reform every
| ,l,;,r MT, ta,la,,a.. = 4L. l:1-
matte service toward mollycoddlism
had a%ntedated Roosevelt, and there
We're more vital things nearer to
hand needing strenuous attention.
No doubt a good deal of the blame
for present conditions in the diplo-
matte service lies at the door of con-
gress because of it's failure to pro-
vide official residences for our rep
resentatives abroad. Were these
residence provided men of larger
ability but fewer dollars could afford
to accept diplomatic posts, and a
good deal of the present ostentation
and ven vulgarity of display would
be made impossible. But Mr.. Taft
apparently has made up his mind
that even in the absence of action by
congress there is a good deal that
the appointing power can do. In the
future, therefore, a%spirants for dip
lomatic honors will have to furnish
| some references other than Dun and
Bradstreet.
One of the peculiar features of
the fight over the house rules was
the conspicuous participation in it
of men not members of that body.
Speaker Cannon's chief of staff and
| general organizer was "Jim" Watson
of Indiana, who withdrew from the
house in order to accept the repub-
lican nomination for governor and
was defeated. Watson had been re-
publican "whip" of The house and
knew more about getting the mem
beers into line than anybody else, so
he remained in Washington to help
out the Cannon organization.
The practical leader of the Gin
surgents," certainly their chief adj
wiser, has been Col. Pete" Hepburn
Of Iowa, who was defeated for re
election. Col. Hepburn was the only
mar in the insurgent camp who was
any match for the veterans of tho
Cannon organization. He had played
the game in the house so long that
H. 1.-.. -11 az. o,~~1.~ D-l ,S,,
and as he had less to lose by failure
than the new men just entering OF
their congressional careers there wa!
more of daring and %audacity in hi
methods.
No matter what unusual methot
of taxation is finally decided upon a
a necessary means of increasing tn
revenues, it is going to have har'
Shedding in congress. There is a yer,
large school of ''old-fashioned'
:, statesmen who believe hat the frs
step toward wiping out the treasur
deficit should be to reduce expenses
They point out that the case of
government is very different froI
that of a family. If a family's il
come isn't sufficient to meet its out
go, it is very desirable that the fan
!, lily income should be increased, bu
), it isn't increased by levying IN asses:
ment on the members of the famil,
;. If the family income cannot be il
creased, the only alternative is a re
], duction of expense. Reduction {
: expenses, it is contended, shout
;, have first consideration in the cas-