The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-07-16
g. A. ARTHUR.

No excuse is needed for the space we
may give informing the people as to the
merits of the man who will be Our next
vice President. He Is comparatively un,
known, and the most that tho general
public know of him Is that he was once
collector of the port of New York, and
was removed by President Hayes, in
obedience TO his famous order No. l.
The fact of his removal has lead many
to believe that there was something
wrong about him. The New York
Times says of Mr.. Arthur:
No higher encomium can be passed
upon hun than the mention of the fact
that, although the war account of the
state of New York was ten times larger
than that of any other state. yet 1t was
the first audited and allowed in Wash
ington, and without the deduction of a
dollar, while the quartermasters' ac-
counts from other states were reduced
| from 81 100000 to $10,000,000. During
his term of Office every present sent to
him was returned. Among others, a
prominent clothing house offered him a
magnificent uniform, and a printing
house sent him a costly saddle and trap
pings. Both gifts were Indignantly re-
jected. When Mr.. Arthur became quar-
termaster- general he was poor. When
his term expired he was poorer still.
He had opportunities to make millions
unquestioned. Contracts larger than
the world had ever seen were at his dis
posal. He had to provide for the cloth
ing, arming and transportation of hun
dreds of thousand of men. Speaking of
him at this period friend says: $50
Jealous was he of his integrity that /
known instances where he could have
made thousands of dollars legitimately,
and yet refused to do it on the ground
that he was public officer, and meant
to be like Cesar wife, above suspicion
| His own words to me in regard to this
matter amply illustrate his character:
If had Incorporated five cents, and
on walking down town saw to men talk
ing on the corner tagether, l would i'm
aglne they were talking on my dishOn-
esty, and the very thought would drive
me mad"
When the latter resigned collec-
torship of the port on November, Goth,
| 1871, President Grant nominated Gen.
Arthur to the vacant position, and four
years latter, when his term expired, re-
nominated him an honor that had1iever
been shown TO any previous collector in
the history of the port. He was re-
moved by President Hayes on July 18th,
1873, despite the fact that two special
committees made searching investiga.
tions into his administration, and both
reported themselves unable to find any.
thing upon which to base q charge
against him. In their pronunciamentos
announcing the change. both President
Hayes aud Secretary Sherman bore of
fetal witness TO the purity of his acts
while in Office. A petition for his re
tention was signed by every Judge OF
every court in the city. by all the prom
Inent members of the bar, and by nearly
every importing merchant in the collec
ton district, hut this Gen. Arthur him
self suppressed.
In letter to Secretary Sherman. re
viewing the work Of one OF the investi
=, eating committees, Gen. Arthur produc
ed statistics to show that during his
term of over six years in Office the per
centage Of removals was only g 81
against the annual average of about 2e
: per cent. under his three Immediate pre-
decesaoTs, and an annual average O
about "A per cent since 1857. Of the
: 923 persons in Office prior to his appoint
ment, 521 were still retained CO May 1
1877. All the appointments excepting
two TO the 100 positions commandinG
salaries of $4,000 per year were made or
the plan of advancing men from tn,
lower to the higher grades On the reco
mendation of heads of bereaus. Tn,
reforms which Gen. Arthur instituted il
the methods of doing business in thu
custom house were as numerous as they
: were grateful in the mercantile commu
nifty.