New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-24
E4EE--zl 3 y Ze1-lEl-ll7
THE YORK HE MEANT TO Do.


The work which President Garfield outlined
for himself in his inaugural address, briefly
summarized, was as follows TO maintain
the supremacy of the Nation; to protect the
citizenship of the negroes, so often and so Bit
terly assailed to promote the freedom
1 and purity of the ballot; to aid in
summOning call the Constitutional powers
"Of the Nation and of the States and all the
"vOlunteer forces of the, people to meet the
danger of illiteracy by the saving influence of
universal education" to defend specie pay
ments against any new revival of prejudice
and ignorance, and refund the public debt at
low rates of interest; to assert the right
lOf the United States to supervise any
ntercceanic canal across the Isthmus ;
l to break up polygamy in Utah by
the aid of wise Congressional enactments
and to promote reform in the Civil Service by
urging Congress to pass law to fix the ten
ure "of the minor offices of the several
Executive departments, and prescribe the
"grOunds for which removals shall be made"
The work he thus outlined began under the
favorable conditions of earnest and patriotic
purpose on his part, and the strong support of
public opinion. How well he carried it on dur
ing the brief period before he received his
cruel and fatal wound is fresh in mems minds
1t was commonly said that no President ever
accomplished so much for the good of the coun-
try in the line of administrative work in so
short time. BY the help of his Cabinet he
reformed many serious abuses, broke up the
star Route conspiracy, saved over a million of
dollars in postal expenses, settled the problem Of
funding the high interest bonds over which
Congress had bothered for months to no pur-
pose, and settled it in such way az To com
manG the appreciation of both parties and the
admiration of financers on both sides of the
ocean, and gave the beautiful stimulus Of strong
ard intelligent craftsmanship to all the chan
nes of Governmental action. He waited the
meeting of Congress for the DEVELOPMENT Of
plans respecting aid 10 education in the South,
/ the establishment Of further safeguards
against fraud and force ut National elections.
! The treatment of the hidoous disease of polyg-
amy the reform of the evils OF the spols sys-
TEN in the Civil Service, the protection of the
rights and interests of the United States upon
! the lsthmus, and other matters of National
concern in which he needed the aid of legisla-
ton. He was filed with lofty conception Of
] the National idea-not the conception of n
dreamer, though, or of a mere maker Of patri-
otto phrases, but of an earnest worker who be-
!ieyed President was bound by the ohliga-
tions of his station to labor to make the country
better for his having occupied its seat of high
est honor and power.
His work has ended new alas as far as he
is concerned 1t has passed to the hands of
another. VIII President Arthur take up the
broad and benefccnt plans of his predecessor
I and carry them forward to fruitioni His in
augurI address gives us the right to hope
that he will. He has his opportunity, and the
great party which elected him upon the same
ticket with James A. Garfield VIII delight to
bear up his hands in all well-doing.