Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-08-23
Arthur and the Succession.


Among the many rumors that the pro-
longed illness of the President has given
rise to is one TO the effect that Mr.. Arthur
was about to insist upon the right, which
the practical disability of the President
might be construed to give him, ana
assume the functions of the Executive
Office. A denial of such intention on
the part of the Vice President, or OF any
knowledge or suggestion of such course
on the part of the Cabinet, is telegraphed
from Washington.
While the Vice President might be
warranted in assuming that the time had
arrived for his at least temporary eleva-
ton, the public. while feeling that the
President is actually disabled, have, as
one man. concluded to ignore the dis
ability, inasmuch as no complications
have as yet arisen, in the hope that the
Executive may yet be restored. MIR.
Arthur knows this as well as anybody,
and he knows further that the Demo
Gratis and the majority of Republicans
are by no means impressed with his fit
ness to succeed the President.
Mr.. Arthur knows, too, that but one
of two things could call BIN to the
Presidency. These are the death of
General Garfield or a clearly expressed
and irresistible popular demand that he
should take control of affairs. The first
is far more likely to occur than the lat
ter. For, until hope has absolutely van
ished, or until some commanding neces-
sity arises, the people will not call for
Mr.. Arthur. 1t is altogether likely,
therefore, that he has formed no such
intention. if, as a man of sense, he ever
brought himself to entertain it.
1t is evident. however. that certain
parties, who might be presumed to have
special interest in Mr.. Arthur's success
sion have considered it. A few days
ago the New York Herald published a
automatically worded editorial, profess
ing to give Mr.. Arthur's probable line of
conduct In the event of his elevation,
temporary or permanent As the Herald
was the champion of the stalwarts in the
recent struggle at Albany, its
utterances had a semi-o official char
acter The sum and substance of the
Herald's outgivings was that the Vice
President would to the best of his ability
carry out the policy of Mr. Garfield and
retain his advisers Such a line of
action on the part of Mr. Arthur would
be so at variance with the known wishes
of his hitherto closest friends that its
publication shows. if it was inspired, a
degree of patriotism on their part that
their followers never suspected, or a
large fund of good sense on that Of Mr..
Arthur, which is alike surprising and
gratifying.
Much as we might desire it we cannot
believe that magnanimity and liberality
cOnsort with stalwarts. The liberality of
the Garfield administration is not as yet
the settled policy of the Republican par
ty. 1t has simply been announced. True,
we believe that President Garfield, should
he be spared, having The will to do so,
could mark an era in the history of his
party, such as it has never known. The
President is a leader of men, and, if he
obeys his impulses for good, can accom-
plish a great deal that the patriotic of all
parties would wish to see. The Vice
President was cast IN a different mould.
His nomination was a concession to
the machine" and he is too much
after the Grant type to forget his friends.
While it takes a Colossus to lead party
to higher things, a pigmy or a figure
head may hold it to a partiZan level or
sink it to depths of corruption. To
prove the last proposition it is only
necessary to mention the names of Hayes
and Grant.
The spoils foiled Grantism at Chicago.
Mr.. Arthur in the White House as dis
penser of the spoils would, by the aid of
Grantlike stubbornness, be able to gather
about him the party workers, and these
would be enough. If he meditates a
different course, provided he has taken
counsel on the subject or has seriously
gwen it thought for any length of time,
he evinces capacities and impulses that
his conduct and education so concealed
and dwarfed that they were never sus-
pected.
While we published the HeraIds arti-
Gle for what it was worth, we prefer to
regard it as a series of clever a pTiOri
deductions, in the drawing of which
long practice has made it an adept
While it is altogether likely that the
stalwart cOterie that made Mr.. Arthur
what he is have realized the prospect the
Presidents fall would hold out 10 them,
it is straining credulitY to have US believe
that the authors of the machine are pre-
pared to discard it, or that the apostles
of hate are willing to become the disci-
Piles of fraternal citizenship.
Mr.. Arthur might attempt to do all
that the Herald says he would under
take. We cannot believe that he would
be suffered to persevere. We shall hope,
however, that he will not have occasion
to enlarge the role he has already en-
acted, or masquerade in the character
which the President has marked out for
himself.
Proposed Revision of the Tariff
Our Consul at Lyons, France, recon-