Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-03-14
Stanley Matthews Comes To Grief.

MFR. Stanley Matthews has met with q
rough experience as voluntary dictator
and negotiator in regard to South Carolina
aud Louisiana. A few days ago he evil
IDENTIFY thought he was bigger man than
President Hayes. and contained more wis
dom in his noddle than the Senate pos
sessed. His letter to Governor Chamber
lain was the production of man of inn
portance-in his own estimation. To-day
Mr.. Matthews is in grief because he wrote
and sent it on its mission to South Carolina.
Like Cardinal Wolsey he has had his fall.
His bubble has burst. He has learned
that he is not so big man as he thought
he was. We notice that even the papers
who denounced Mr. Blaine at fiji ST roundly
for his exposure of the plot in which Mr..
Matthews was concerned to sell but the
southern republicans. have ceased abus-
ing Mr.. Blaine, and turned their attention
to making covert apologies for their mis-
take. and teaching Mr.. Matthews what they
think of him. The New York Times.
which was one Of the loudest endorsers of
Mr.. Matthews policy-innocently suppos-
ing that il was the Presidents policy-hav-
ing discovered at last that it had made a
shocking blunder applies the following
whitening language to Matthews: at is
evident, therefore. that a good deal more
noise has been made over this correspond
ence than its importance deserves, but 1t
is also evident that the relations between
Mr.. Stanley Matthews and the President
should have made the latter somewhat less
forward in volunteering advice on SUBJ
ject of so much delicacy, and one on which
1t is extremely desirable that the action of
the Administration should not be hampered
BY the interference of friends, however
well meaning"
The Boston Advertiser, another paper
which also fell into the erro- of installing
Matthews to be President instead of Mr..
Hayes, casts the former overheard and
makes an effort TO rectify its mistakes, and
get upon honest republican ground again.
1t says:
"The letter OF Stanley Mathews to Gov
ernor Chamberlain, with the Endorsement
of Mr.. Evarts, about which public curios-
ty was excited by Mr.. Blaine's reading of
Governor Chamberlain's despatch to Mr..
Corbin in the Senate last week, has been
published. Mr.. Matthews expressly stated
that he spoke without authority, and rep
resented only his own views; but he is
pretty definite before he gets through, in
the suggestion that it would relieve the in
coming administration of embarrassment
IL the Governor would make sacrifice OF
what he deems his abstract rights, for the
pnblic good and his personal good. No
doubt the letter was well meant, but the
discretion which sent such letter by the
hands of the chairman of the Democl attic
State Committee is questionable.
it Is not surprising that Gov. Chamber
lain, not unaware of the reputed relations
between the writer and the President. elect.
nor unaware Of the place assigned to Mr..
Evarts in the new administration, should
have suspected that it might be more sig
niicant than il professed to be. 1t should,
however, be said that Mr.. Evarl's indorse-
ment carefully avoids approving the sug-
gestions of the letter. Governor Cham
berlain is not the man to refuse to make
any personal sacrifices that the good of the
country may require; but, as he says, he
S not acting for himself. He does not re-
gard his right to the Office he holds ian alb
stract right" but as substantial and equi-
table right, and not more his right than
the right of the republican majority of the
State. 1t is, therefore, question of very
serious import, not TO him alone, but to the
republicans of the State and OF the coun.
try, whether he should surrender 1t upon
the demand of minority, even if that
minority does represent the wealth of the
State.
The facts are undenled and unJenable
that the claimed democratic majority de-
ponds upon the vote of two or three coun-
ties where the republicans were subjected
TO horrible outrage at the hands of demo-
Gratis. and where the vote cast was thou
sands in excess of the whole voting popu-
lation, the excess being on the democratic
side. 1t cannot be alleged, either in re-
spect of Gov. Chamberlain, that he would
not exert all his authiriy in favor of good
government. His record on that issue is
unimpeachable. The situation in South
Carolina is difficult and complicated, no
doubt. Ii may be impossible to reconcile
the opposing parties on a basis which is at
once just and peaceable. But it does not
follow that Gov. Chamberlain is wholly re-
ponsible for the difficulty, or that he is the
person who should be asked to yield"
We are glad to see that these metropol-
itan papers have at last been able to I'M
derstand the situation. But they ought to
becareful in future not TO leap at the stlle
before they reach it, and not to bit the
wrong man If they are bound to have a
foht