The weekly miner., 1881-07-26
OVER JEALOUS FRIENDS.

uGGpiy Jllc WLolc pCOplC anu blOuSu
out such expressions Of sincere sympathy a
the shooting of President Garfield. The ex
alted station that he occupied; the unpro
voked assault upon him the dangerous char
acte" of his wound the courage and forti
tude he displayed when death seemed inevit,
able; the brave bearing and heroism his un,
complaining wife has shown under the trying
ordeal through which she is passing--have,
alt ogether. aroused the better feeling of every
Amer lean citizen and given birth to desire
to extend not only sympathy, but material
aid to the distinguished sufferer and his hero
ic little wife. This is all very we'll in its way.
There is something truly noble in it and
shows that men can lay aside or bury their
petty anm,Sties and rise above the little
rreiudices born of political differences. 1t
speaks well for the head and better for the
heart. But there is possibility that this
matter Of ates'ing sympathy may be over
done There is Just such a thing as going so
far in it as to present it in an offensive light
and thus defeat the object sought to be
gained.
a few days ago when popular sympathy
was at a white heat and President Garfield
was not expected to live, Mr.. Cyrus w. Field
proposed that a fund of two hundred and
| fifty thousand dollars be raised and presented
to Mrs Garfield. The donation was to be
made for two-tOld purpose first, to quiet
the apprehension of the President III regard
to tie means of support for his family in the
4 hi hat
that support would be assured. The PROPOSE
/ ton was received with enthusiasm and at the
present writing about Sl5O,OOO Of The sum
have been subscribed. Whether Mrs. Gar
field will now receive the sum when the ult
mate recovery of her husband is not ques-
TONED remains to be seen. By many it is
considered extremely doubtful. But it is not
our object to discuss the matter Of its ac-
ceptance. We merely desire to call attention
to other propositions which over Jealous
friends of the President make, propositions
which if seriously entertained will surely
lead to the immediate revival of the bitter
partisan feeling which his attempted assas-
sination has for the time being alayed
Among those which have been made and
which may excite unfavorable comment, are
the following which we find in the New York
MGI OF the 18th inst. Says that journal:
"In addition to the popular gift of $780,
600 to Mrs. Garfield, the construction Of
new White House should be made a method
of EXPIRE sing to the President a sense of the
nations profound esteem. 1t should be re-
membered that Mrs. Garfields recent illness
was in part the result of the maarial in
fuences connected with the antiquated struc.
ture in which the Presidents family now
live, and that President Garfield's peril is
greater because of his confinement there.
The nation needs new home for its Presi
dents, and public sentiment should be direct
ed to that need at the present time in order
that Congress may direct it to be supplied
when it meets next December. \ favorable
opportunity to secure a suitable site is now
offered, and it should not be neglected 1t
will require two or three years to complete
new White House such as the nation should
have. Why not plan the work so as to have
the house ready Tor General Garfield at the
beginning of his second term, i'll March,
1885 -
1t may he that the health and comfort of
the occupants Of the White House suffer from.
s'malarial influences connected with the an
tiuuated structure" and that the :snation
needs a new home for its Presidents" a
new building in another locality may be
necessary, but until Mrs. Garfield was taken
al do ,l,op
hearing of the necessity. Hayes, Grant and
their pred cessols have occupied the building
without complaint being made on account
of its unhealthness Mrs. Gartield's illness
was attributed to the overW ork and over eX-
element to which the discharge Of her du-
ties as mistress of the executive mansion sub
jected her rather than to other causes. 5 i'll
there may be valid reasons why a new eXccu-
tive mansion should be built. If they exist
the people will recognize them aud find means
10 erect the bull ling. But the reasons for
erecting such building must be based upon
different grounds than that Of ''expressing to
the President a sense of the nations pro-
found esteem.'' The Mail, in its zeal ev,
IDENTITY loses sight of the fact that there is
wide difference between sympathy and poli-
tics. While the people may sympatEize with
d man III his trouble and extend all the aid
in their power to alleviate it, it does not fol-
low that they must endorse his politics. We
cannot be classed among those who believe
that the attempt upon President Garlield's
life has obliteratel all party lines aud that the
ball from Guitteau's pistol destroyed all par
ty differences. Neither do we believe that the
assault of the madman will make Mr.. Gar
field the next President, nor that it should
precipitate .the work SO as to have the house
ready for General Garfield at the beginning
l.. L