National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-09-30
A @Concrctc" statesman.

leSNSs W DelOng ana with WnlCn he OCCa-
sionally acts. lie was formerly a mem.
Der of the United States House of Repre-
sentatives, whete he postured as q politi-
cal prude and rampant reformer There
is picture eNtant of the House of Repre-
sentatiyes in session, with Mr.. Clay, of
Kentucky, in the foreground. 1t has
pleased the artist to represent Mr.. Clay,
who was really all grace and ease, in a
very awkward attitude. One foot adj
vanccd far bbfore the other, his right
hand at his breast, under the lvest, as if
reaching for alsuspender, his head thrown
back and his thest expanded, the whole
suggests an iR different circus tumbler in
the imposing tableau of Ajax defviI& the
lightning. II appeared t9 be Mr.. Rob-
erts's foible to he strlsii with that picture,
anu s. .i,9shG,I,&aGtice on enabled him to copy it
with tolerablc fidelity. 1t is due to
truth to say that this was the extent of
his resemblance to Mr.. Clay.
Mr.. Roberts, although understood to
have been what is called practical "
on an occasion or two, was all the
more most vehement professional
public purifier. What his. head may
have lacked otherwise was compensated
by the adornments of nature and of the
hair-drcsscr. Take him altogether he
would appear to the unsophisticated a
marvolously proper man. His strength
consisted, not in showing how noble he
himself was, but how detestable were all
others. lie sought to contribute to the
success Of the Republican party by boast
ing that its entire time and energies
were occupied in eliminating its thieves.
He found nothing to praise in his own
party but the exemption from total de-
pravity of a very select few of its men,
bers, and nothing whatever to condemn
in the opposition. lie now dwells in
Utica, where his chief occupation is to
hate Mr.. Conkling, the only service he
could render that gentleman, were he
ever so well disposed. lie is leader of
the men who claim to know what Presi-
dent Garfield would have done in every
concern of state had he lived, and who
are loud in claiming it to be his postum
nous prerogative, though dead, to exercise
undiminished authority through his sue
Cessor.
Mr.. Roberts has been interviewed by
the New York HerdLd. lie has done an
immense service in showing by his in
discreet utterances the unworthy aims
and motives of his class. His intcrlocu-
tor led him into an exposition of the So
called Garfield policy" by preliminary
discussion of the coming State conven-
ton. And here let it be remembered
that nobody ever heard of any claim by
President Garfield thathe had "a policy"
The phrase is an invention of hungry
sycophants, who claim to have been re-
membercd in his imaginary or forged po-
litical will. These are the men who, to
use q phrase of Mr.. Roberts in the inter
view before us, grasp the concrete rather
than the abstract" 1t is evident from
Mr.. Roberts's uttcrances that he is one of
those who has decided preference for
the concrete
OF the State convention, which meets
in New York city next week, he evil
IDENTITY despairs He foreshadows fac
tious rebellion in its organization by de-
claring that the authority of the State
Central Committee, never questioned, to
designate the person who shall call the
convention to order may be set aside by
II tumultuous proceeding in the body of
the convention, and this, of course,
means that the minority, in which he eX-
poets to find himself will inaugurate an
archy rather than allow peaceabe or
ganization by their opponents. Better to
rule in hell than serve in heaven is the
spirit which animates such peo-
pie. We are glad to have evil
dencc so convincing as Mr.. Roberts's
rage that they are not to rule in the Re
publican counsels of that State. That
they will be iactious and attempt Il bolt
is quite possible. When men threaten
to create disturbance in convention it
may be set down as certain that they
have no hope ofbeing in the majority.
Mr. Roberts says that the convention
will be in the hands the friends of the
late President Garfcld's administration.
Well, SO it will, so far as all Republicans
becameagain the Presidents friends when
he was wounded in July. The concrete"
fellows who We're only his friends for the
offices they hoped for from him-they will
not be majority hereafter in any con-
vention.
But the main theme of Roberts was his
venomous hostility to the friends of Gen
eral Grant and an impudcnt claim that
the Republican party consists only of
those who voted against him at Chicago.
This he boldly declares was the Garfield