The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1880-06-26
IT'S THE TRUTH THAT HURTS.
Weston, West Virginia, June 26, 1880
Il Possible President.
Boston llerall (lepublican.) n

Boston Herald tIlepubiican.)
Now that tho country is able
fully to realize that the nomina-
ton of Mr.. Arthur for the Vice
Presidency is not a joke, but u Sc
.rious fact, the possible consequent
ces Of that most astonishing piece
Of folly begins TO appear, If tho
reputable organs of the Republican
party, and those OF its leaders who
are not known to have parted with
their senses, had not accepted the
nomination with cheerful resigna-
ton, ifnot with q semblance Of
satisfaction, one would be justified
in attributing The deed TO the A[cph-
istophelean malice Of Senator
CcnGling. Defeated in the des-
perate game upon which he stakcd
his all, and perceiving in the NOM
ination Of General Garfield a chance
that the party might continue in
power for another Presidential term
without being subjected to his i'm
perious sway, it is not conceivable
that he saw, in this weak and stul-
tifying nomination Of an obscure
and obnoxious machine politician,
the easiest way to ruin where hs
cannot rule? Mr.. Conklins's Lead
ership in the Grant campaign has
been too able to permit us to think
of him as a fool, and We are, there
fore, inclined to favor the hypothe-
sis which ranks him with the sons
of Lucifer. For, in considering
this question, it must be remem-
bered that the person whom athe
boys" in New York politics desig-
nate as "Chet Arthur is n posi-
bic President Of the United States.
Neither the prayers of tho minis
tsrial coteries, nor the petitions Of
the Young Republicans, eoultl pro-
vent this if General Garfield should
be elected, and thereafter come 10
his day Of doom, through m i'll
advised mixture Of cherries and
milk, as one Of his lamentcd prede-
cessors did, or fall a victim TO any
one of tho thousand ills that even
robust flesh is heir to. No politi-
cal convention has the moral
right, not to touch upon the lower
ground Of cxpctliency, to nominate
a man 70, the Vice-Presidcncy
whom it would not be willing to
name for the Presidency. And the
idea that this clever, good-natured,
"iclub-ablep ex.collector Of New
York-a third-rate lawyer, whose
50 years do not make him too old
to be a protego ola member Of the
body over which he aspires to pro-
side-would ever be thought of.for
the highest office in the gift OF the
people, is too absurd to need con-
siderAtion. To mention it is to ex-
plOde it. Destitute alike Of expert
cnce in public life, and Of a mental
capacity for receiving discipline in
the busy school Of Affairs, Mr.. Ar
thur is the most mediocre man ever
named for an elective Office above
the grade of an alderman or 4
member Of the Legislature, To
think of his iilling-or "rattling
around in," as DR.. Holmes put it
the place once occupied by john
Adams, George Clinton, Daniel D.
Tompkins. Calhoun, Van Buren,, or
even the Vicc-Presidents Of q later
day, is simply exasperating. When
Mr.. H0ar reported to his fellow
citizens in Fansuil Hall the action
of the Cincinnati Convention four
years ago, he congratulated them
that the ticket was so strong in its
second name, and compared it ia
the Irishn,an's stone wall that was
"higher when il fell down than
when it stood up" But, it the
present head Of the ticket should
fail, what would be left in sight but
a mere aggravation of vacancy?
We do not blame the jubilant Re.
publicans, whose rejoicings over
the nomination Of Garfield were
quenched under the wet blanket Of
Arthur's name, for cxclaiming, in
the classic language Of 'Pinaf0re,"
"Why, damme, it's too bad |"