Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-11-09
ARTHnR AND MAcrEAGH

IL n tH AM 4H1tl nd on.
An article oi the Washington Star
giving an alleged passage between
President Arthur aud Attorney Gen.
eral MacVcagh in the prosecution OF
Guiteau and tho Star Route parties
has been given wide circulation.
The object OF this publication at this
time rs well as the spirit that ami.
mates il is plain enough. Mr. Mac
Neagh has persstently refused to re
mnin 10 the Cabinet for the mere con.
yenicBco Of President Arthur until be
can have the opportunity OF selecting
advisers that are personally and politi
cally more congonal to him. 1t was
plain enough TO Mr. MacVeagh from
the political relations and personal sur.
roundings Of President Arthur that as
little time as possible would be lost in
the selection OF new Attorney Gen.
eral In fact before the breath was
out of the body of President Garfield,
but when death was regarded rs in.
evitable the significant hint was con
veyed TO the public that whatever dis.
position might be made Of the rest of
the Cabinet Mr.. MaeVeagh's selfre
spect required him to anticipate the
kindly intentions in his behalf, and he
determined to 60 at once, There were,
however, some important eonsidera
tions that made il extremely desirable
to President Arthur to keep Mr., Mac.
Neagh in official relations with his
administration for little while longer
The new administration found itself
confronted with the Star Route cases
and Mr.. Arthur's advisers in consider.
ing the embarrassing position came to
the conclusion that 1t would be an ad.
mirable stroke of policy to hold Mr.,
MacV Veagh in the office of Attorney
General so that the failure OF these
prosecutions with which Arthur had
no sympathy, might be charged upon
the administration of the dead Presi-
dent. II Mr. MaoVeagh persisted in
bis refusal to take charge Of the pros.
ecutions the responsibility might then
be thrown upon him.
At first Establishments were tried
upon the Attorney General in the hope
of inducing him to become Il calspaw.
He was told that his eminent abilities
and superior knowledge of the Star
Route cases rendered II extremely ad-
visablo that he should take charge of
them. But Mr.. MacYeagh had no
such exalted notions of his superior
merits as TO make him accessible to
this mode of assault. All the facts
connected with these cases and all the
knowledge that relates to them were
within as easy reach Of Mr., Bliss and
Mr. Brewster as of himself and he con.
sldered these eminent lawyers from
their long practice in the criminal
Courts as fully qualified as himself to
prosecute them. Mr.. Bliss and Mr.
Brewster would be insnted by the
direct suggestion that the assistance
Of Mr.. MacVeagh would be essential
to either of them in criminal prose
cution. So the alleged necessity that
Mr.. Mac Veagh should remain in the
Cabinet in the interest of the Govern
ment until the Star Route cases are
of is mere pretense. The
real object was to mako him a scape-
goat in case the prosecutions should
fail through want Of the sincere en-.
couragcmcnt and support OF the ad-
The purpose Of the elaborate report
Of the passage in the Cabinet session
is TO create a prejudice in the public
mind against the inhoxible Attorney
of Garfield in tho hope that
what he may lose in popular estima.
ton Arthur will gain. He is held up
not only as ignorant Of his responsible |
duties, but as disposed to flee from the |
discharge of them. 1t is pretty Ger.
tain that Arthur was coached" by his |
kitchen Cabinet advisers for this inter.
view with the Attorney General. The
President processes great anxiety about
the Guiteau case, and wants to know
what preparations Mr., MacVeagh has
made for its prosecution. Mr.. Mac |
Neash does not consider it his duty to |
oondnct criminal prosecutions aud he
iortities his view with the experience
of Jndge Black There are no such |
in the Guiteau case that the
frat law officer Of the Government
may not leave it with the legal au.
thoritios of the district in which the
crime was committed. The President
can see no difference between such
case and tho Burr trial for treason, in |
which an extensively ramlfed conspi-
racy to sunder the country was sus.
pected. In this Guiteau case, on the
other hand, it is known that the crime
was the unaided act of wretch fatal. |
ly bent on murder, District Attorney
Corkhill and those whom he might
select to assist him could be depended |
upon to master all the legal difficulties
10 such case without the personal
Intervention of the first law officer of
the Government, But with this, as
with the Star Route cases, the object
is to destroy the Attorney General
when it is found that he cannot be
used to serve the intriguing spirit Of
Arthur and his kitchen Cabinet
HYrrieb,trY Dyg,',f