Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-09-15
The PresIdent,s Practical Politics.

The President of the United States
has gone TO New York for the purpose
If comforting with the politicians of his
party In regard to the approaching cleo
lions. Such is the news telegraphed
from Washington. The time was when
we had Presidents whose conception OF
the dignity of the first Office of the Re-
public was of so lofty n character that
they could not find il consistent with
their sworn official duty TO mingle in
party politics or to regard themselves
nc the mere chieftains OF a faction
They believed themselves representative
of the whUie people. though chosen to
office through the instrumentality of
party Organization. If some of them
were governed in the exercise of the
appointing power by the doctrine that
Ito the vlctoTs belong the spoils," they
still Disseminated i'm favor Of the public
interest by selecting men of character
and fitness and declined to place the
patronage of tho Government at the
command OF clique of ambitious poll
ticians, to be distributed for personal
ends or to be made corrupt bond of
cohesion between discordant elements
of their party. But they existed before
the days of Grantism and the Stalwarts
The use of the power of the Federal
Government to perpetuate political or
personal dynasty is rs unrepublican and
antagOnistic to the spirit of free institu-
tons as To establish a hereditary mon
archy. The difference is only nominal.
III President Arthur should re-elect him
self by using his official power TO that
end and ut the termination of his sec
faf I'd
the same means, the distinction between
our form OF Government and that of q
hereditary monarchy would consist only
in the manner by which the transmits
sion OF the Executive power from the |
incumbent To his successor would be ac-
complished. The fact that we have be- !
come accustomed to the interference of |
the Federal Government in State cleo |
tons does not lessen but rather aggra-
Yates the perilof republican institutions. |
The puerile terror of State Rights and |
the mawkish sentiment i'm favor of Fed |
eral intermeddlng in State elections,
which SO largely control the party in
power. were the inspiration of Grant in
his attempt to force himself, through the
political power of his Administration,
into third term of the Presidency.
Arthur was disciple nc the feet of that
ambitious Gamaliel and is ready to 90
farther even than his preceptor to estab-
fish adynasty OF his own. He is a ''prac-
tical politician and in his lexicon prac-
tical politics is defined to mean, first.
power for Chester A. Arthur. secondly.
power for Chester A. Arthur's special
friends He has chosen few practical
politicians to share his power and to as.
sist him I'm transmitting il TO a success
or to be selected by himself and these
sharers of his political fortunes. His
principal copartners are j. Donald
Cameron, of Pennsylvania, and John
A. Logan. OF Illinois. These two have
recently been given control of the
greater part of the patronage lately and
ut present at his disposal He is to as
sist them in controlling the politics of
their respective States by all the power
OF his Administration, and they in turn
are to bring him delegations for renom-
ination in 1884. His own State of New
York he will look after i'm person. Thus
n second term for Arthur becomes an
issue in the approaching elections.
Nay, not merely second term for
Arthur, but the establishment of the
Stalwart dynasty first projected by
Grant, revived by the pistol shot of
Guiteau, and to be perpetuated by the
practical politics" which regards no
honorable precedent, respects no con-
stitutional restriction. and aims ONLY at
the qualification of the personal ambi-
lions OF those who adopt it as a profess
sion.-HayriSbUrg Patriot