The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-03-01

President Arthur put IN a couple OF
big ticks for his Second Term last
week. That is, he laid on the shelftwo
of his most formidable friends name
ly u. s. Grant, and Roscoe Conkllng.
They put him in the Presidential chair
but then, you know, it is much easier
to start some things than to controlthem
afterwards.
Grant was shelved by putting him on
the Retired List at a salary Of ten thous'
and dollars a year for the rest of his
life. If he lives 40 years, as he might
do if it were not for champagne fuddllng,
he will draw nearly half a million dollars
out of the public Treasury ltax payers
please note y in addition to the quarter
Of million presented to him by the
rich shoddycrats and thieves who fat
tened on government stealage during
eight years of corruption, commonly
called Grants reign" During the
Senatorial Debate it was admitted, tby
John A.. Logan and others who We're
pushing the natter that Grant did not
need the pay and that it would not ID,
crease his honors or be any special
mark of respect and that 1t would keep
back some really needy ex veteran OF
of the Union Army who would otherwise
take the place. But Grant wanted
t,-just as he wants everything he can
get, from a bull-pup, or cigar, to ten
thousand dollar pair of ma~tch-horses,
like those given him-''for a cOnsidera-
tion"-by his intimate friend, Mcdonald,
chief of the St. Louis 'Whiskey Ring
And Grant got it, partly by Democratic
votes. we regret to say.
No sooner was Grant Retired, than
Arthur sent in a Message naming e1-
senator Roscoe Conkling as a justice
of the United States Supreme Court
and A. A. Sergeant, DIETER known as
'.E&gy Sergeant OF the California Rail
road Ring-who was digracetully defeat
ed for re election in a State that gave a
large Republican majority as United
States Minister to Berlin. The latter
was a shrewd move of Arthur to escape
fulfilling his promise to make Sergeant
Secretary of the Interior. The storm
of indignation which followed Sargeant's
public statement that he was to gust
Kirkwood, alarmed Arthur, and showed
him that even the Republicans would
be digusted at the putting ofsuch a man
at the head of Internal Affairs. SO he
was given the honor Of a foreign mis-
sion, at large salary; and put where he
CANT find many ''steals." The Germans
are a thrifty set
Conklings nomination created great
surprise, as he was not supposed to Want
it, and had once refused the Chief Jus
ticeship of the same Court, tendered
him by Hayes. But Arthur knew that
if Roscoe took the place, it would be a
virtual admission that he had retired
from Political life. For, the handsome
T~urkey-cock is proud, and honest and
would not dabble in politics, while he
sat upon the Judicial Bench.
When the nomination were received
in the Senate, it was thought that Conk-
old Hoar,- of Massachusetts, popped up
with an objection, which was fata', as a
single objection sends the case to com
mittee. But Hoar went farther, and
denounced Conkling as an improper
person to sit upon the Bench that he
had used his great powers for bad pur
poses: and was not honest, and would
be a disgrace to the Judicial ermlne
This is a clear case of Pot ''sassing" the
Kettle. W. have no special love for
Conkling, who in the plentitude of his
power was a bitter and ~implacable foe of
the South, but we believe him to be more
honest and lean-handed than those who
assail him most; and he is personally
superior to a dozen Hoars, and a pair Of
jack-Dawes to boot.
Hoar's bitterness against Conkling
arises from the fact that the latter de-
feated the confirmation of Hoar's broth
er four year ago.
The New York Tribune, once the or
gan of the bitterest Radicalism, now
denounces Conkling as the direct cause
of Garfeld's death.