Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-10-20
PRESIDENT ARTHUR

The Presidents second term boom
seems to have subsidized and his excel
lency is no longer regarded as the
probable candidate of his party. His
tendency to absenteeism probably
gave his prospects cold water bath,
but there is no necessity of seeking
out a reason for the death of a presi-
dental boom; such things are as tickle
as the fashions and come and go with
out any apparent cause. The popular
ity of public man is an uncertain
quantity, and won't do to rely on.
"But yesterday the word Of Caesar
might have stood against the world,
now none so poor to do him rever-
ence4 1t has always been so and prob
ably always viii be.
We have never been among those
who were disposed to accord to Presi-
dent Arthur a surprising amount of
statesman-like ability. Like William
O'Trimbletoe, of the nursery rhyme,
he is undoubtedly very able fisher
man, but we have not made the dis
covery wherein lies his supposed SUI
periority in state-craft. His admins
tratiOn has been least Objectionable in
its passiveness. He has been fortu-
nate in holding the Office at a time
when no very active measures have
been required on the part of the exec
utiye and is in that particular like the
man mentioned in proverbs, who is
accounted wise because he holds his
peace. For the reason that he had
been the faithful deciple of Roscoe
COnkling and was of the Stalwart
faith in politics, it was somewhat fear
cd by Southern Democrats that Ar
thur would return TO the practices OF
Grantism, and some persons have
been disposed to sing his praises for
not doing so. We fail to see that he
deserves to be lauded ON that score.
The administration of Hayes had rem
dered a return to the methods OF Grant
impossible, or had at least placed their
restoration quite beyond the power OF
such a character as Arthur's. Had
Arthur succeeded Grant there would
have been no attempt at any alteration
in the conduct of affairs. 1t was no
longer possible when he came
into the Presidency to adopt a dis
tinetive Southern policy, Gt would be
almost as sensible now to speak of
a Western policy0 but such bearing
rs the present administration has had,
ON Southern politics, has been in no
way wise or admirable. The Presi-
dent has sold out to Malone in Vir-
ginia and bargained with Chalmers in
Mississippi. He has seemed to have
an idea that by trucking to these mis-
cradle renegades he could strengthen
his party in the South and disorgan-
ize the Democrats of the same section
with the rewards offered for desertiOn.
In this idea ne has not risen above the
partisan and has displayed a very
meagre amount of political sagacity.
Such policy has disgruntled the old
Republicans of the South who don't
want to divide the Federal offices with
the new converts, and it has disguised
the more respectable element of the
party in the North, who are not prone
to look with favor ON so disreputable
an alliance.
His appointments, with the excep-
ton of Gresham, have none of them
been good, while that of Chandler was
VIGOROUSLY bad. The selection Of
Evans was unfortunate, to say the
least of it.
There is one thing certain, Arthur's
administration has not mended the
waning fortunes of his party. He was
elected on the ticket with Garfield by
a majority that was supposed to have
buried the Democrats, but the reac-
ton was so great by the uext election
that the Republicans themselves were
laid away under the sod. 1t was Pres
ident Arthur who at the Dorsey ban
ouet SAID the election had been car
ried by soap" and chuckled over the
assertion us if it was good joke. That
mean and miserable metaphor is not
calculated to do credit to either his
wisdom or his honesty. For one, we
are no ways disposed to write Mr..
Arthur down as a great and good