New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-28
GARFTELD AND MAHONE.
MISUNDERSTANDING The LATE PRESIDENT
THE VIRGINIA BOSS not BACKED By GENERAL GAR
FIELD : ADMINIsTRATION-No INTERFERENCE IN
Ar AFFAIpS

y
FIELDS ADMINIsTRAuON-NO INTERFERENCE N
STATE AFFAIRS.
rBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNL.l
W.sUrXOTOv. Oct. 26.-In the course of ioug
conversation with TRIBUNE correspondent re-
Gently. a prominent Republican, who was az
intimate and devoted friend OF the Iate
President Garfield. and who enjoyed the most
CONFIDENTIAL relations with him down to the
time of his assassination remarked
observe that Gorham and other Administration
haugers-on are making violent efforts TO convince
the people that General Garfield was in favor OF
setting up Senator MahOne as boss IN FIf-lhia
politics and placing the Federal patronage OF that
state IN his hands. NolhlnS could be further from
the truth
"Wbar was really General GarGeds attitude in
regard 10 Virginia in May and June OF last year
asked the corresponds t.
Il can explain that was The reply TO BEGIN
with. il should be understood that General Car
field held views IN regard to home rule
which would prevent him, the head
OF a National Administration, from interfering III
the politics Of any state. OF ny own knowledge,
can say in regard to Virginia that had the Presi-
dent not been slot he would have expressed no
op;nion rs 10 what course the Republican party
IN Virginia should take, or would have waited and
accented Tie utteranccS OF The Republican state
Convention l know thu, General Malone made
strenuous efforts to induce the President to advise
the Republican leaders IL Virginia
araiust the holding of any State Conven-
tlon. AMI | know that General Malone, III
conversation with his political friends and allies
freely criticized President Garfield because he
would not do this lie was extremely impatient
obo1t what he called the Presidents hesitation and
unwilhngncss to act promptly as he expressed it.
1T must seem absurd" continued the late Pres
dents friend 40 anyone who remembers the events
of the TINE YOU recall to hear n asserted that the
President who was then engaged ua bitter struggle
10 prevent the New-York boss from debating
and controlling Federal appointments IN that state,
was anxious to place himself at the mercy oil the
boss in Virginia OF any other state. That he warm
Nv sympathzed with al proper efforts to secure free
and fair elections everybody knows; that he was
ever willing 70 interfere with the power of the Adj
minlsratIon TO control the political affairs Of any
State. nobody who knew him as l did viii ever be-
What ia vorr recollection as to how President
Garf-lN- Cabinet stood IN regard to Virginia al
fairs = the correspondent asked.
30 far as my reco ection serves. Sec
retaries Blame and Hunt and AttCru-J-
General NacN.agh did not sIlpatAiZe with tIe
mans which senator Malone urged the Admusfr3-
ton TO adopt In fact, th.1k there was only one
member # the Cabinet VINO went far enough. hat
Is say. VINO acted promptly enough 70 r.itl tuc
Virginia Senator-that was foSima,ter-H'nerI
James. ! know that Malone, on more than one oc-
ca,lOu criticized quite severely secretary " lhdoI
because he dad not act promptly enough nor rr-
move Treasury officials 90 were obnoxou1 TO sem
at 81 Malone VINO. the latter tiougi II, were
uIaciu1 obstacles IN the way OF the Liberal move
IuoDt. remember OF hearing. 100, mat II" Thought
Secretary Lincoln rather indifferent, because the
latter dd not feel called upon 10 that te aDDro-
pra.ous tor the improvement oI rivers ana halD9is
In Virginia were dI-DurSed ~ way To ara the
Liberal cause. thIuk tue troUble uctWce General
Malone and Secretary Hunt BEGAN ~ tn ci1.dl OF
the Secretary 70 interfere IL Jne DEANS o1 admins
tratl0n u the Norfolk Navy-Iard.
% You can hardly realize hCW absurd Is this effort
90 make 1t appear that President Vdihtld "ou9
haze taken any s"cn course IN tt.G;Id
10 The politics OF any STAT, as TINS Ainlu-
isfrltion has done both IN NIrElnia and Aew-Ior1.'
continued the gentleman. " Imagine President
CARRIED Ieaylug TIE steal OF Government 10 go %
Oa.O ana attempting to dictate VINO should ne me
Rpuu5lican candidate Tor Governor OF mat Sta.t
Try to iuag ne him giving the Wink to members OF
his CdbInet 10 use the 0.urlll patronage ia iheii
control TO aId IN securing thr MOBILIZATION OF ihaJ
caudldatci Why, do yOu know that q hgA oL!rer
of he Government IN tins Guy udd>tcd the OiErI
DAY as 10 what the Department 70 which ho be-
Io.lEed had done toward securing fOl~crs uomln1-
ton and SAID that had other Departments done
hall as much Foger wOula have been nominated by
an overwhelming majority at Saratoga IheY may
talk much as they p.ra>taOOul ic lIQuol ql'' oI
as an excuse for Republican defeat III ONO, hut
there were other and deeper causes. Hdd there
been no liquor Oucst1ou we should have lost Con
gressueu in tnat state. DO moi believe tntt under
any circumstances Buttcrw0T b, 40I example, could
have been reelected after his speech 2lor!l lng
president Arthur at the expense Ot President
Garfield.
Il recently travelled through dozen Western
Sta,cs, ana found every wnere that the memory OF
GARFIELD Is fresh ia the mind. OF the people Men ~
Washington who i've amid the excitement Of
political events which hu.Iy 10y in such RAPID
succession that the memory OF what took place
Yesterday II constructed by what Is taking place to-
day come forgot that the people IN general bavc
time To reflect, and they learn to have convictions
on political subjects IN tle struggle between the
late President ana the Newly boss the PEG Die OF
tins country were on The SHE OF the President.
hey were with him ia sympathy during the long
DAVIS IN which he struggled 50 braYely against
death. They have not forgotten either struggle,
nor have their sympatliIeS changed or grown cold,
as this Administration Will be likely 10 ind on the
II nf next month";