Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-12-01
NASHlNGTO, GOSSIP.

Grant and COnk ing Gath on POliti.
cians--NOue but Grant Atalwarts''
for Ofice--Arthur-- BIaine's POpu-
Inrity-- Reflections on Men and
Things.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Nov. 26.-Gaih,
the spiclest OF all correspondents, sends
the following letter to his paper: There
has not been any time for years when
the general operations Of the executive
were SO little known. The president
gives very little satisfaction, even to his
old friends, when they come for office,
and his clerks are not much known to
the crowd, and therefore do not leak
his secrets. For the present, Gen. Ar
thur is enjoying some of the applause
arising from this mystery and quiet
counsel. He unquestionably has a bet
ter address for office-seekers than any
body who has filled the place these
many years. Hayes received the of
fice-seekers in delegations, had them
present their case, and said he would
take it into consideration. They gen.
orally interpreted this to be a proof of
his Willingness to be annoyed again,
and finding he had made another APP
pointment: in general, they called him
a liar and hypocrite. Garfield could
neither say no nor be silent; he was
very much lacking in executive ability,
is all men are who never will be bru-
tai. Arthur has spent years putting
men into Office, and turning them out.
He was selected to be collector of the
port Of New York with reference to his
oflice-giving qualities.
The President has not seemed par
ticularly interested in the officeseekers
calling up to this time. No doubt he
is going to make cabinet that will
take from his shoulders the dangerous
responsibility of refusing people office,
and after he has made his cabinet, will
turn all applicants over to it, possibly
exercising secret influence with each
cabinet minister. | asked a gentleman
in daily intercourse with President
Arthur if he was liable to truckle to-
ward southern senators or southerners
in general because his wife was from
Virginia. "There is nothing of that
kind in Arthur" was the reply. Gle
knows very little about the south, and
is certainly not going to be taken in by
any fine plantation manners" l thought
| discerned in some of the talk of my
Stalwart informant fear that Arthur
was going to be a little too impartial.
He is not giving his confidence to
the chums who ran the last campaign
with him. Those chums did good
deal of running to Mentor, conveying
news away from there, and when they
finally found that Garfield was unable
to fulfill the innumerable promises they
thought he was committed to, they
soured on him, and have hardly forgiven
him for dying. The fact bears on their
minds, for they have very little hope
in President Arthur's magnanimity of
character.
A distinguished congressman said to
me 81 hear no talk of his putting into
the cabinet any but Grant men or men
who, if not Grant men, are only Arthur
men," He mentioned the names Of
Frelinghuysen, Boutwell,, Chatfee,
Filley. and some others, and said
"Have you ever heard any suggestion
of prominent anti-Grant name for
Arthur's cabinetY'
The intolerant forces long led by
Conkling are apparently indifferent to
the fate of the republican party. Inc
present cabinet is in love with Blaine.
That remarkable man, not SO much
by his magnetism as by his ceaseless
kindness IN little things and apparent
spontaneous attentions, and strength
and nicely of statement and under
standing, has become the survivor of
Garfield in very great degree with the
common people. There are two ele-
ments opposed to him, however, and
have been from the beginning: First,
the ConklIng element, which drew
against him the hostility of the Grant
administration. Geu. Grant believes
that Blaine has spoken sighting things
Of him, and was dispensing tales to his
discredit in the fresh days of his in
habitancy of the white house. Thus
Grant, the great military idol of the
country, is in apparently lifelong hos
tility to Blaine, the chief political idol
of his party. If used to be said, ANY
thing to beat Grant" now it is getting
to be said, Anything to beat Blaine"
Not only the ultra stalwarts are against
Blaine, but the ultra reformers. The
latter take the position that man can
never be vindicated after having suf-
fered any blemish to his virtue. They
make no concession to the advancing
years of Blaine, his upright family life,
his independence of temptations now.
They only say they do not trust him
and his character; that he his bigger
politician than Conkling, and therefore,
to be fought quite as much IS Conk-
ling This element has large juvenile
following in the important state of New
York. In Pennsylvania, on the con-
trary, the juvenile elements opposed
to the Cameron ring are warmly
for Blaine. Throughout the western
country Blaine is more popular than
Grant. In New England he is about
half favorite. The Boston aristocracy
made precipitate issue with him, and
then never forgave him for answering
them in kind. Yet it looks probable
that Blaine, even if they keep him out
of the presidency, will stand in future
times as the most wonderful politician
of the age of the war. With very 1T
4. Z.