Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-08-16
SWINGING AROUND TIE CIRCLE. -

President ARTHUR Is following the
example of one of his illustrious prede-
cessors, the late ANDREW JOHNSON.
Mr.. JOHNSON was an accidental Presi-
dent like Mr.. ARTHUR, having been
made President by the bullet Of an as.
sassin, like the present incumbent Mr..
ARTHUR has some Of the qualities pos
sessed by the man he is now initiating
Mr.. JOHNSON thought that he had only
to show himselfto the gatherings Of his
admiring countrymen and lift up his
voice to start such enthusiasm for him
as to make certain his reelection, and
with few of his friends he started on
an elect oneering tour which was termed
Swinging round the circle" Mr.. AR
THUR, following that historic precedent,
Is now Swinging. Mr.. JOHNSON was
quite unfortunate in his starring tour.
Mr.. ARTHUR, however. has avoided
some of Mr.. JoHNSoN's errors. The
after had "policy" and a pretty good
one it was, and forgetting that he was
merely the executive of the Federal
Government, he undertook to discharge
the functions of Congress aud the Su-
preme Court, giving his enemies the
handle of whip with which they
dashed him most numerically. Mr..
ARTHUR has wisely eschewed all such
things as policies and principles. He
agrees with the party, hoping thereby
that the party will agree with him. He
has no convictions in particular, no
special preferences - nothing but an
overmastering appreciation of what a
fine thing it is to be President, and
determination to keep the office he was
lucky enough to get" So he Swings
round the cicle," to make his calling
and election sure, as he supposes. In
fact, he has done little but junket since
he got into the White House. Last
year he went to New England and
swung around considerably at Marsh
field to make what capital he could
with the surviving admirers of Web
ster. Last spring he swung through
Florida and started what he fondly i'm
agined would become "a BOOM" but alas
for Presidential calculations He ate
too much shrimp salad on a memora-
Die occasion, and was taken inglori-
ously sick of, not to put too fine point
upon it, bellyache. When he recovered
sufficiently, he swung around to New
port; but strange to say, he made no
eclat at that capital Of wealth and fash
ion. Now, he has swung out on a
much larger circle, taking most of the
West into his peregrinatiOns. He ha
gone with merry companions, with pro-
visions for festive pl srimage, pro-
longed juuket Of weeks TO extend over
thousands OF miles, exhibiting his mag
nificent rotundity at every point of in
terest on the route, and radialing per-
sonal magnetism everywhere. The
scheme is audaciOus. There is nothing
wanting to insure its success but the
ability TO MAKE II succeed. l ntOrtu-
nately tor Mr.. ARTHUR he is Mr.. AR
THUR. Everybody knows this unfOr-
tunate fact. 1t tells against him
wherever he goes. He exhibits himself,
and the people cheer at the President
and stare at the man. Nobody cares
for him. At Louisville he was a dead
weight on the occasion. The senti-
uaent for him waJ oold, and but for the
occasion nobody would have taken any
notice of him. His swinging does him
no good, ami the more he exhibits the
less people care to look at him. As
swinging candidate, it must be confessed
that he is dismal failure. Yet he is
the strongest candidate the Republicans
have. He will get his eyes open at last,
and find that he is not the candidate,
however anxious he desires to be.