Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-11-13
FoLGER's CANDIDACY.
The Presidents Friends Attempt
ing to Escape ldlum.
The Assertion Made That the Secretary Was
Not the Administration Candidate-A
New Stsy About COnkling-MOre
Of the Monitors.
MISCELLANEOUS WASHINGTON NEWS.

WASHINGTON, November 12 Secretary
Folger having been beaten beyond any
thing ever heard of before, the Presidents
friends are disowning his late candidacy.
One of them declared to day that he knew
perfectly we'll that the President never IA
yored the Seeretary's candidacy; he would
have much preferred that the Secretary
should not run, but did not feel at liberty
to oppose it. On the other hand, he did
not take any part in the Secretary's behalf.
The Presidential friend explained that the
Secretary sought the nomination because
he aspired to succeed Arthur, and regarded
the New York goyernorship as
A sSePPIng-StOneI to the Presideney.
All this may be true, but there is much
deception in appearances if il be so. Per-
haps the President did not care to have
FOlger nominated, and perhaps Folgers
idea of stepping from the GoyernorShip to
the Presidency affords an explanation of
this. Bnt it was the Presidents closest
friends who nominated Folger immediate
ly after they had had long conferences
with the President That President Ar
thur did not take an active part in Fol-
gers campaign after the nomination is a
little hard to believe in view of all the cir
cumstanceS. These friends are now conf
dent that Foiger did not represent the
President, say that the anti.Folger papers
persistently represented him as
Tool OF Mr. Arthur,
because the Presidents interference in
local politics was the strongest card they
could play against Folger. This is an in
version Of cause and effect. Secretary Fol-
ger is an eminent and popular man, in his
own personality, and the Republican
papers that opposed his election had no
conceivable excuse for it unless they really
believed his candidacy to be the result of
the Presidents msnipulatiOns. He was
opposed because of the means employed by
that bosom friend of the President, Mr..
Steve" French, and other only less inti-
mate Presidential chums to secure his
nomination, and because the Presidents
activity was inferred from the activity of
his companions who were dining with him,
fishing with him, and having long inter
views with him at his residence. II the
charge that the President was
Intriguing I'm the Secretary Behalf
was fiction invented to injure the latter,
il is necessary to explain why the persons
who make the charge wanted to injure the
Secretary. Il is also to be noticed that
these friends who are trying to save the
Presidents political reputation at Secre-
tary Folger's expense took no pains before
the election to explain Mr.. Arthur's un-
willingness to have the Secretary candi.
date 1t is safe to say that these gentle
men would not be talking as they now are
bad Secretary Folger been elected. Had
he been elected by good rousing majority
all the Presidents friends would have cited
the fact Is evidence not only OF the
nFa A.a. H..
tion,
but as proof of this wonderful sagacity as
q political manager. Every step taken by
the Republican managers would have been
credited to him. Possibly the President
vas running Folger for the Governorship
lust enough to get all the credit in case Of
q victory, and escape all the blame in case
of defeat. Perhaps it is unjust, but the ad-
ministration would have enjoyed the cred
il in case of success, and ii must stand the
blame now. In politics, as Ia war, ueIeat
is none the less ruinOuS because some one
else was TO blame, nor is success any the
less valuable because it was achieved by
some one who does not get the credit of it.
Besides, the Presidents friends, who are
trying to defend him, make no defense at
all. The real question Is not what the
President really did, but what the people
of New York thought he was doing. The
people ueIedLeU fOlStE Oy al uLlCAa'hPASN
majority because they believed that the
President was trying to get him elected,
and had punished Cornell to crafty the
reyengeful feelings OF Conkling. The les
son for the President would not be impair
ed in value even il it were true that the
people were mistaken.
The Latest story About CenkIing
is, that some time ago he sent a friend to
Secretary Folger with a note requesting an
appointment for him. The Secretary not
only declined to make the appointment,
but observed that be could manage the
treasury without Mr.. ConAing's help.
When he asked Mr.. COnkling to enter his
gubernatorial canvass, the magnificent
Ctican, with that high-bred courtesy Tor
which he is famous, merely turned his
back on the Secretary and walked of with
ont a word. If this story be true, Conk-
ling's ancient grudge must be growing
obese, it is feeding so heartily. The other
day il dined amply upon "the lizard on the
Hill" and now it banquets coplously upon
that ancient mutton chop.