Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-10-31
Aanrdstrr ftltelliQencer.
MONDAY EVENING, OCT. 81, 1881.
A Singular Contest.

MONDAY EVENING. OCT. 81, 1881.
A Singular Contest.
1t is a very singular attitude indeed
that the president of the United States
and the attorney general have assumed
toward each other. The attorney gen
eral resigns, and the president declines
to receive his resignation. The attorney
general leaves his leaving-taking cards
with his Washington acquaintance,
offers his house for rent, and quits the
town with bag and baggage. The presi-
dent refuses to appoint his successor and
the solicitor general undertakes also the
attorney generals duties. And this at
tachment of Mr.. Arthur to Mr.. Mac
Veagh, as is well known, springs from
no love for him, for there is no love felt
on either side. The motives guiding
each mans action are well under
stood. But the questions are whether
the president is warranted by any
circumstances in demanding Mr..
MacVeagh services against Mr.. Mac
Veagh's refusal to render them :; and
whether MacVeagh is warranted in re-
fusing to give them when the president
peremptorily commands them. The
situation as we read it is.just this: Mr..
Arthur has been friend of the star
route thieves, and cOnspiclously so of
Dorsey. lie finds a prosecution pending
against them commenced under his pre-
decessor. lie considers that prosecution
as most likely to be without result. lie
fears to be charged with the failure, and
therefore desires to avoid all appearance
of responsibility for it 10y leaving it in
charge of those who originated it. Mr..
MacVeagh and Mr.. James sconspicuously
stand before the country as the star route
prosecutors and Mr.. Arthur wants to
nail them there.
E1r. MacNeagh understands this, but
apprehends also that the secret influence
of the administration will work against
the undertaking to put the president S
old friends in Jail. lie knows, further
more, that he is not of the administra-
tion, while ostensibly part of it. He is
not disposed to stay i'm it and to he
turned out when his virtue has been
squeezed out of him. Mr.. Arthur and
Mr.. MacNeagh belong to distinctly op
posite branches of the Republican party
that cannot coalese any more than oil
and water. Under these circumstances
Mr.. MacVcagh pursued the only course
open to him in acquainting the presi-
dent that he desired to 20 out of the cab
met. Mr.. Arthur, under ordinary cil-
cumstances, would have been glad to be
rid of him. But now he thinks there is
an advantage in keeping him.
Is he right in refusing to let him go !:
Who can think so? Suppose it is true,
rs he says, that Mac Y eagh having made
himself familiar with the star route
cases is the fittest man to prosecute them
tothe end. That would Justify him in ask
ing him TO stay but certainly it is very
unworthy and undignilied proceeding in
a president to go farther than this in his
insistance, and il is even childish in him
to refuse TO fill Mr.. Mac Veagh's place, in
the idea that lie will thus more effectu-
ally free himself from responsibility
for the failure of the prosecutions.
In our judgment Mr.. Mac cNeagh would
have done better to have retained his
Office at the president 5 command for the
purpose of prosecuting the wo:k he had
begun. Remaining for this well under
stood special purpose he would not have
been responsible for the policy of the adj
ministr.!iOn. Ii Mr.. Arthur could af-
ford to retain in his cabinet an avOWed
opponent who did not want to stay there,
Mr.. MacVeagh could we'll have afforded
to remain; his position would have
been exceedingly independent and his
place very conspicuous one from which
to proclaim his views. No question of
delicacy could have restrained from an.
tlgonizing president who insisted on
keeping him 10y his side against his will.
The witness which led Arthur to such
al umheard-of inSstance might have
proved to lie Stiffness instead. but it was
no concern of Mr.. MacVeagh to protect
Mr.. Arthur against his folly.
The conduct of the president in this
matter conclusivcly shows him to be 4
man of very low tone. lie has been
extensively ADVERTISED by his friends rs q
gentleman and specifically he may he.
But he lacks the self-respect which is
the essence of the man and the gentle
man. We fear, too, that he lacks sim
cerity, honesty and independence, and is
in fact but Il pretcEtious sham, rs little
time is likely to clearly show.