The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1883-04-11
GRANT IN A NEW ROLE.

4
The president of this country is supposed
to carry with him the dignity of the
country. When placed in such an exalted
position the man loses his own individual
weaknesses or importance, as the case may
be, and becomes the head of the govern.
ment, the representative and embodiment,
indeed, OF the power, responsibility .and
dignity of the government, and propriety
demands of him that he should keep al
ways this fact in view. The responsibility
to shape his conduct with view to main.
tain the dignity of the position he has oc-
cupied does not cease upon his retirement
from office, but If he be correct thinking
man he will never forget that he once occu.
pied the most exalted station on earth ard
owes it to those who placed him there that
they shall never be made to blush by reason
of their choice. The company man keeps
and the pastimes he INDUCES in, AS a
private citizen or an official indicate his
character ana tastes, and 1t is source of
modification to the public to discover that
1t has selected for its greatest favors man
with no higher tastes or pursuits, and with
no greater appreciation of the demands
and dignity Of position and fame than the
common herd OF men and boys around him.
Such source of modification has been
thrust upon the country in the conduct OF
Ex.PREsIDKNr GRANT. He has Just recently
forgotten again that his is now historic
name, and that he was twice elected prcsi-
dent of the United States, and accepted the
very commonplace and undigniiod position
Of president of the American Rillemen's
association, u sporting organization, whose
executive chair any one OF the captains of
the various teams could grace equally us
prominent nation upon the globe. There
is nothing wrong in the organization. In
deed, it is good thing in its way, and to
one of its members, who had never occu.
pied great official position the election to
its presidency would DO decided honor.
But the name and conduct of GENERAL
GRANT are now part OF the property OF the
republic; are intimately associated with its
history and glory, he is amply provided
for, and therefore owes 1t to the United
States to maintain that dignity and those
associations only that become one who has
been honored above all other men. The
presidency of riiiemen's associations, base
ball clubs, jockey clubs, etc., should DO left
to and DO filed by the men and boys who
indulge in such sports, are in TACT sporting
characters, and surrender nothing by fall
ing from higher to lower estate. GRANT
seems to have been, ever since he left the
White House, utterly oblivious to the fact
that he ever occupied II, and has presented
himself to the world us merely
common stock gambler and heightened
sport. His conduct and the vulgar
commonplace significance he has attached
TO his name, and actions have done more
to lower the popular standard of respect
for the position he once occupied than any
that has occurred in the country for u half
century past. II Is not CISclSSArus re.
turning 10 the important and digpitled
position Of agriculture, II is rather like the
dog returning to his vomit. Our ex-presi-
dents should be properly provided for, so
as to render them able to maintain the
ease and dignity that should characterize
and wait upon their retirement, but this
having been donc. or they being able nom
their own means 10 take care oithemselves,