Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-10-06
ADVICE FROM THURLOW WEED.
influences Which He Thinks Presi-
dent Arthur Should AyOid-kitch-
en- Cabinets to Be Discouraged.
New York Tribune, September q.

en- Cabinets to BE Discouraged.
New York Tribune September q.
"No Vice President" said Thurlow
Weed, yesterday, to Tribune reporter,
''ever went into the Presidential chair
under so favorable circumstances as
General Arthur. He has nothing to do
except take the Government and go on
with it. In three other cases were the
President has died, there were compi-
cations for the Vice Presidents to Crap
pie with at once, which they were not
equal to. But General Arthur's course
is clear. He will have smooth sailing,
if he viii only keep the ship of State on
the course General Garheld's Admin
istration had given her. All that Gen
eral Garfield did while President show
ed his wisdom and patriotism, and all
that has occurred since he vas wound
ed has developed traits Of character in
him that have endearded him to the
people.
'But above all. must General Arthur
depend upon himself. Just as surely as
ambitious men get control of the Gov
eminent, they will break him down and
also the Republican party. I have no
fear of Kitchen Cabinet influence over
General Arthur. He is too experience
ed man to fail into that error. All
the the unpleasant things we remember
about General Gran s Administration
were due to his Kitchen Cabinet
friends who abused his influence, as
Boss Sheperd and Babcock did.
General Arthur must beware Of his
friends, however.
II was very intimate with General
Taylor, and he said things to me con.
corning the difficulties of his Admin
istration which [ think Gen. Arthur
will appreciate. He declared that in
fixing his first Cabinet he thought he
could not trust his own judgement,
being soldier and experienced states
manship. He therefore asked into his
counsel three eminent political and
personal friends whom he felt convinc-
ed would advise him honestly and wise
ly' But he said he subsequently dis
covered that distinguished politicians
could not. be impartial; they could not
dlvest themselves Of personal interests.
Being themselves candidates for office,
they could not help looking around to
see how appointments which they might
recommend would affect their own
chances. He said he did not think it
their fault, but the accident showed
him that he could not trust for advice
men who had their own ambitions. I
have often been struck by this remark
General Taylor made it only a week
before he died and while engaged in
the work of changing his Cabinet. Had
he lived a week Logger he would have
corrected the errors he made in his
Cabinet. General Arthur cannot afford
to rely upon men who are aspirants
themselves for thr the Presidency. 1t
will be much safer to trust himself"
''This mornings Tribune tells of your
going to see President Arthur two or
three weeks ago"
Eyes, | have been intimate with him
for many years, and | called on him
one afternoon. | found there ex-Min-
lstcr StOughton, and, little to my sur
| prise, Speaker Sharp. General Arthur
seemed to be on the best of terms with
the Speaker. l talked to Gen. Arthur
for an hour or two, but what he said to
me was of course confidential.
| AAIA ll1Ol4IIcIUU I11f LII VI LILLY, SuC11So
A. Trowbridge, came to see me this
morning, and he expressed ideas with
which l agreed. He thinks that we are
surrounded by an atmosphere of out
rage and crime, and that never in the
history of civilization have such auda-
cious crimes been committed Con-
spiracies and assassinations are fire.
quent, and conspirators build dynamite
machines openly, and threaten to blow
up steamships. Mr.. Trowbridge feared
the effect of Guiteau's terrible example
upon the public mind-that it might
lnsite persons DESTROYS of an unenvi-
able notoriety 20 emulate him. His
great solicitude was that President Ar
thur should do as much as possible to
d1sarm any prejudice in the public
mind"