The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-08-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent

Let Mr.. Arthur take courage Upon
his arrival at Chicago the other day he
was confronted by fifteen mortal columns
of commendatory notices in the Chicago
Nescs responsive to inquiries by that
journal touching the success of the Ar
thurian administration. From press
and pulpit and politician and people,
came laudatiOn unmixtd with either ifs, 3"
''buts," or ''howevers, the writers seem
ing TO vie with each other in the strength
OF their expressions about the marvellous
manner in which Mr. Arthur has thus far
steered the ship of state. That truly
good man Deacon Richard Smith, of
the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, vol
unfairly tenders his need of praise,
seconded by the not less truly good Murat
Halstead; while the great civil service
reformer, George William Curtis, and
that other reformer. Henri Watterson,
unite in their expressions of profound
confidence, by saying that they and the
country ought to be proud of the man
who fills the Presidential chair so well.
And there was Mr.. What are we here
for-but-the. offices Flanagan, of Texas,
who thinks that victory will surely crown
the renomation of the man who dispenses
the fat offices, and Charley Farwel, of
Chicago, thinks so too, despite the fact
that Charley sought to take rank as sort
of king of the h&lf-breeds a couple of
years ago Senators, Representatives in
Congress, and some of them Presidential
candidates, too, x-office-holdeTs, mem
bers of the literati, including Charles
Dudley Warner and Harriet Beecher
Stowe and Mark Twain, all have good
word for both Mr. Arthur and his
statesmanlike methods, and all find Tea
sons for believing that us no man could
have done better. the perfection of
human greatness as demonstrated by Mr.
Arthur should be prepetuated in the ad-
ministration of our national affairs.
OF course these people, who are prOmi
nent in our politics and our literature,
have had ocular demonstration of the
wonderful things Mr., Arthur has done
since his advent upon his executive
duties, and If called upon to account for
the faith that is in them concerning
his Presidential achievements, they
cannot but refer to his active
participation in the successful jot
that led to the resignation of Messrs
Conkling and Platt, and the continued
success met with by the Administration
in getting them back into the Senate
They will also refer to the successful issue
of Mr.. Arthur's work of handing Pennsvl
vania over to Don Cameron, which lee
to the successful laying out of the re-
publican party in the Keystone State.
They cannot but refer to the successful
issue in favor of Ben Butler in Massa-
chusetts, caused directly by gall of bitter
ness in the Presidential appointments a
the Boston custom house. Nor can the
fail to refer to the successful disruption
of the republican party in New Hamp
shire, which proceeded from the success
full blunder of putting Mr. Chandler il
the cabinet when the Granite State wa
Over-running with infinitely better an
more reputable material. They also wi
refer to the fact that Connecticut turne
her back upon him and his administration
the moment that he laid his cunning han
upon her politics, and Mr.. Arthur ha
never succeeded IN being successfI
enough to bring her back. They will re
fer with infinite satisfaction to the worl
of Mr.. Arthur in bringing New Yor
all around right last fall; to the success
full BUSTING of Cornell and the still MOI
successful forcing of member of hi
cabinet upon a republican convention b
resort to forgery and bribery and dow
right fraud, with the rebuke of two hui
bred thousand democratic majority
favor of Mr., Arthur keeping b
hands off They will refer to NJ
Arthnr's attempt to return his f
vorite Congressman, Mr.. Robson, fro
New Jersey and the successful laying Of
of that gentleman by the democrats, al
the capture of the whole delegation fro
the republicans as a reminder to M
Arthur that his duties are at Washingto
and not in New Jersey politics. Tit
will also tell of Mr.. Arthur's achievemel
in Ohio, which by thirty thousand demo
cratic majority denounced the metho,
of the Administration, and they will n
forget to mention the little matter
republican Michigan electing democra
ic governor, and weakling at that
throw in the face of the AdministratiC
the general disaproval of ward manag,
ment in government affairs
These must of necessity constitute {
that Mr.. Arthur's friends base the
opinion upon in the line of suecessf
administration of the government Fl
these are absolutely all the public acts
political character that Mr.. Arthur h,
performed. In view of these it wou
seem that what constitutes success in til
minds of some people would be deemt
by Presidential nominating conventic
.oA1aw moan rnn Al