The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-07-21

o IN Omclnl btAtlOu ue hOulu no.O " oSA 'S
whether his knowledge, training expert
r ence and mental habits tit him clearly Z
!, distinguish on the political field goo'
3 from evil, not only in the abstract, but II
/ the confusing multiplicity and variety o
. forms in which things appear In reality
, whether he would be sufficiently
/ equipped to penetrate restrain and bafli'
/ the wiles OF political intrigues and the
conflicts OF factions among the friends
, which always surround the chief mAgis
trate OF a great commonwealth; whether
. lie will show himself fitted to move or
that field OF civil action and duty where
forces are handled and directed, not by
q mere rule OF command and obedience,
, but by finding the Just measure OF drm'
ness and moderation In the pursuit OF great
objects and resistance TO evil influences,
cannot impress 1t TOO strongly on your
minds that there can be no greater differ.
ence than that between the handling oil
troops in campaign and the handling Of
the political forces OF great people, aud
the handling Of the political affairs Of a
great Government.
Moreover, 1t must not be forgotten that
this Government Ia no longer the simple
machinery 1t was in the early days Of the
Government The buccollc age Of America
Is over. The interests the Government
has to deal with are no longer those oil q
small number OF agricultural communi.
ties with here and there commercial
town. They are the interests OF nearly
fifty millions OF people spread over an i'm.
mense surface with occupations, pursuits
and industries OF endless variety and great
magnitude; large cities with elements OF
population scarcely known here in the
early days. and all these producing aspi.
rations and interests so pushing powerful
and complicated In their nature and so
constantly appealing to the Government,
rightiully or wrongfully, that the require.
ments Of craftsmanship demanded In this
age are far different from those which
sufficed century ago. Il is believed by
many that It Is an easy task to perform
the duties Of the President OF the United
States; that the only thing no has to do
is to form a programme OF policy which
he desires 10 carry out and 10 call good
and experienced men into his Cabinet to
attend 10 the detail Of the business with
out meddliDg himself with its intricate
complications.
The experience | have gathered from
personal observation, not only as q mem
Der OF the legislative body, but also OF the
| Cabinet, has convinced me that it was Q
great mistake. II all the President had to
do were TO select seven men who agree
with him upon the principal objects to be
accomplished, and then consult and agree
with them on the means to be used, un-
disturbed by the pressure OF outside
forces, 1t would indeed be q comparative
ly easy and comfortable thing, but the
fact is that the President Of the United
States, by the very nature OF his position,
Is obliged to spend far more time in listen.
ing 10 the advice and wishes, aud the
urgency OF men outside OF his Cabinet,
than to consultations with Cabinet minis.
tiers themselves. The opposition he may
encounter from the opposing party in Con-
gress, and in the preSs, is in most cases
the least Of the difficulties he has to con-
tend with. The greatest puzzles that are
apt to perplex and sometimes to over.
whelm his mind come from his own party,
who have q claim upon his attention
and insist to have that claim respected,
not only upon the great measures OF his
administration, butupon every detail ofthe
advice Of the members OF his party, espec.
tally those in Congress, is urged upon him
with all imaginable sorts Of argument and
from all imaginable sortl OF motive. There
ia scarcely an appointment he has to make,
there is certainly not a reform he wants 10
execute, that he will not have to carry
through siege and storm OF wishes and
interests. Every object he pursues will
run contrary to the wishes, not only OF
bis opponents, but OF some OF his friends.
Every reform the execution OF which may
appear to him desirable, will tread upon
the toes OF somebody whose interests lie
in the abuse to be reformed, or who has a
friend TO protect who is connected with II,
and all these pleadings, representations,
remonstrances, urgencies and pressures
20 to the President, not through the mem.
bers OF his cabinet, but behind their backs.
And it is a matter Of long aud varied ex.
perience that unless the President himself
has a sufficient knowledge OF affairs, q
clear eye to see through arguments and
motives, and that temper and skill which
are necessary to resist without offending,
and TO oonciliate without giving up his
objects, be will inevitably be run over and
Ilanentably fail. No man who has not
witnessed 1t has an adequate conception
OF the furious pressure the President Ia
subjected to. especially during the first
period OF his administration, and that first
period is apt to determine the character OF
the whole. No Cabinet minister can carry
out a reform in the branch OF the public
service over which he presides unless he
has the President at his back, for II the
President yields to circumstances and
urgencies brought to bear upon him
against such a reform the Cabinet minis.
ter will find himself battied at every step.
speak from experience when ! say
that most OF the good things that have
been done under this administration,
whatever merit the respective Cabinet
Ministers may deserve, they are no less
due to clear headed and faithful support,
frequently called,the ''amiable obstiDacy,"
with whi0h President Hayes stood hehipd
them by warding off the opposition. i 10
for such reasons OF inestimable benefit
to an administration, that the President
himself should have had experience OF
active work in legislative bodies and es.
pecIally in the Congress Of the United
States. It will require in President a
high degree OF that intuitiye genius with
which but very few men in century are
endowed 10 make his administration sue.
oessful without that experience.
Now put, for the sake OF argument, In
that most trying position General Han.
cock, or any man trained exclusively in
the walks Of army life, Of which he is SO
conspicuous an ornament. Imean man
not endowed with that intuitiye genius
which have spoken OF, and which even
his most ardent friends, as understand,
I 4 II. haN
has there been In the school Of his past
life to ct him for itP As boy he was &C.
cepted by the Government as cadet at
West Point, and that was his college aud
university. have high respect for that
military school. Every branch OF militia
~ service is taught there, have no doubt
with knowledge, skill and success. The
principles OF military honor and the great
| law OF command and obedience. are incul-
Gated as the guiding stars Of the Inture life