New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-03-03
GOOD-BY.

GOOD-OI.
The King is dead! Long live the King I!
Tomorrow we shall welcome the coming Adj
ministration and clink our glasses to the new
regime. To-day we take the stirrup cup and
bid the outgoing Administration very
friendly good-by. Nay, since the country is
in somewhat Joyous mood, let lis silk differ
ences and blow the foam from off the beak-
er's brim toward the fading form of the dc
lure as well as the de tdctO Let us be amia-
BILE toward Pretender and true Prince, since
the claim of the one and the tenure
of the other both cease Tomorrow.
Our actual Chief Magistrate has given
us for four years clean and pure admins
tration. He has made fewer mistakes than
most of his predecessors, has administered his
trust Loyalty and uprightly. has maintained
the dignity and strengthened the credit of the
Government and given us an administration
of which we have nothing to be ashamed and
much to be proud. Not the least of the
claims of President Hayes upon the graft
tude of the people is that by his sin
cerity, mOdesty and fOrbearancc. az well as
by his prudent conservatism and earnest adj
herence to principle, he made Republican sue
cess possible last year, and removed the dan
ger of a return to power of party that
had shown itself utterly destitute OF honesty
OF ability, or the capacity to administer public
affairs. In this particular the merits of his
administration will increase in the public esti-
nation with the lapse of time
But The TRIBUNE has heretofore on many
occasions awarded praise to what some of our
soured and disappointed Democratic friends
delight in calling the de Jacto Admnistra-
ton" for the practical wisdom and good
sense it has MS a rule exhibited in the conduct
of public affairs. And the sincerity of its
commentator is attestcd by the freedom with
which, upon the rare occasions when it has
seemed to be deserved, it has expressed dis
approval and INDUCED in criticism. Let us
then bid an equally friendly farewell to our
so-caled - President dc jarc," Mr.. Samuel j..
Tildcn. We believe it remains to this day
a mystery whether this gentleman did, on the
4th of March, 1877, take the oath OF
office as President of the United States.
1t is quite certain that he did not
take it, as he was advised to- on the City Hall
steps in this city for it has appeared from
revelations made by an accurate and impartial
historian by the name of Mines, that General
Stewart L. WoOdford-whO poured the thrilling
narrative into Mnes's capacious ear-had the
largest guns on Governors Island trained on
the City Hall on that day, while n great va
ricy of frigates and things lay of the Battery
with their ports open, and batialons of the
most blOOdthirsty marines in our Navy
were in waiting under arms to seize
the old gentleman, il he made an appearance.
and whrl him of somewhere in cab. He
did not appear. II he took the oath. he took
1t AZ the timd teetotallcr, alas too often takes
his teddy - somewhere behind a door. But
whether he took the oath or not. he has Ger
tainy believed for the past four years that he
was the President de jure. A. such his term
expires tomorrow, and it Is fitting that we
bid him n fond and ailcct'Onatc farewell.
And it is very pleasant to The TEIB-
uyE to be able TO say, with conScon-
tious truthfulness, that 10 President de
lure has ever discharged the cxhausting
and exaspcratnS duties of that sta
ton with such entire ,tisfa ction to the public
The chief feature of his naugural-deivrrcd
somewhat late in his term, bare-hcaded on his
front steps-was his solemn assevcration that
be would not under any circumstances condone
fraud. And he hasn't. He has fulfilled the
promise of his inaugural to the letter Not
that he hasn't cond0ned any frauds; for there
are frauds, of course, connected with railroad
management and income returns which it costs
money not to cOndOne; but the particular
fraud to which he referred he has never con
doned. Few public men since Washington
have shown such answering fidelity to their
inaugural pledges. History may say of him
that he was the victim of dclusion in sup
posing himself elected, as it will undoubtedly
say that he had an uncommon anxiety to
be ell, cted, and it may be that upon the com
pilation of Cipher dispatches and THE TRIB-
UNE's trallslatiOns, that fraud was cOntcm-
plated; but History, if it be impartial ami
true. must record the fact that he promised
not to condona and lived up to his agree
ments.
To Mr.. Tildcn belongs the credit of having
discharged the functions of President de jurr
with unliring assidulty. Spared by the votes
of tire people as well as by the judgment OF
the Electoral Commission the burdcnsome duty
of dividing the revenues of the Government
between Tsmmany and Irving Halls, and freed
from the annoyance and vcxatlon of having
to abolish wine from the White House, with
no responsibility for resumption, or free trade
or the payment of Southern claims, he has had
abundant leisure and opportunity TO sell Ele-
waited Railroad stock at Il fair profit, and in
crease the efficiency OF the Democratic party
by driving out John Kelly, and promoting
great activity i'll both Tammany and Irving
Halls. In this latter particular he is deserving
of all praise. He divides with Mr. Hayes, the
" President de .frcto," the credit OF having
delivered the country from the danger.
Of Democratic rule. 1t is circumstance
very delightful to dwell upon that these
two statesmen, hostile TO each other