Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-03-08
q Striking Illustration of an Apparent
Fact


President Arthur furnishes some
what striking illustration OF afact which
has long been apparent to thoughtful
q oheerrers of Nationals affairs: that the
- g f6tdfce IN the Government is grad
n &4 RSpg the peculiar prestige and
power which attached to- It. and
that no very large amount of brains is
required TO discharge reasonably well
the duties pertaining thereto. Even
among his warmest friends he has never
~ nno q rErs5e n bof
rpess "aa %fE ne State 9eG !"
the Union that could not produce at
81 short notice an ADLER man; perhaps sew
eral ADLER men. He is a smart and sue
60 scessful poht 'cian. though much of his
ess is attributable to luck rather than
haYT to skill and he has that easy. courteous
and die nified manner which covers a
IsT e musitude of deficiencies and wins the
esteem and praise of those who do not
.9OA inquire whether this thin y ,'.ss Of
Yet. with such limited stock in trade.
erhas SO far got along not badly, and
ifhotpopular is certainly not very UNI
pdIphr He is making what stermed
Va resp ctable President;' that IS one
AM whodoes nothing on The whole. to pro-
woke either admiration or severe con-
domination. and VIII m the country re-
CARDS with sort OF goed-natured i'm
di erence. it is doubtful whether Gar
field superior as he was. in many re-
sfi il atlyObetter: certainly he would
have had harder road to
travel and been more, sharply 'ol;ed
than has his successor. But be this as
it may, there is no risk in asserting that
Il aman Of sArh,lr,s ca iber could not
hare filled the executive chair in tie
vrs,, early years of the Republic as satisfac,
~ itorily as he has done. Though the
.g.l fdnctiots o the once remain un,
q npcur rpU
which render it much less difficult than
formerly to perform these fun, tions.
From 1879 to 1887 we had seven tresi-
dents Washington, Adams, Jefferson,
~H : 5 Madison Monroe, John Quincy Adams
and Jackson-all Of them exec ptionay
able men. and three at least who would
have been great i'll any country or in
any age Yet the abifiues of these sew
en- Presidents were taxed to the utmost,
and none OF glidedv along as
smoothly as does the amiable specimen
OF medioc ity who now occupies the
White House. If we can imagine Arr
thur where he is at any time between
i7S land 1887. we may realize the diff
ference between Presidential qualifca-
tons then and now: difference created
by the changed situation. which de-
mands and expects less of a President.
To-day the Nation feels safe under a
CHIEF Magistrate whom fifty years ago
ii would have deemed utterly unfit for
the pla e. In other words, the Presi-
..ts.f" Denial standard has been materially
'"frH q" lowered. while the Presidency itself
.- continues. and will continue, to be the
highest object of political ambition.
AT first glance this change would
-.l seem to be unfortunate and dangerous,
but more careful view shows it quite the
reverse. 1t is because the peope have
ID steadily improved in the art of self
government that less is required of their
HH. President. Once they needed WASH
ingtons, Je ersous and Jacksons; now
an Arthur viii serve their purpose.
They no longer look to the President
forinstru ton and guidance in political
ahsirs; they have instructed themselves
aud are competent to glide themselves.
lit years ago 4 Presidents message
was q document OF great Importance.
read at every hreSde in the land and
discussed by ali classes, of citizens
Who. outside of Congress and news
paper Offices. reads and discusses 4
Presidents message now? How much
piblic interest is ielt in the o Unions it
.. expresses or the re commentators it
makes and how much influence does
'.. q. it have upon anybody anythlngp
$3.50 K. The people have come to look upon it
RI as simply matter OF formi q report Of
S1a3yi no particular conse Iuence from their,
head servant about business the essen
tial features OF VIII CHI they are as familiar
with as he is. In short, tile fresi-
dent now follows where once he
led. He is only head servant of masters
who unde land their own bus ness thor
,orghly and intend to MANAGE it to suit
themselves; not the reyered counsellor
and leader of the olden time, With the
.. growth OF popular intelligence and self
confidence in matters OF government
the ship o state steers more easily than
in former days and NAV be trusted to a
| less experienced helmsman. A Wash
ington at the wheel was once barely
sufficient to avert disaster; but now the
old ship sails on unvexed under pilot
- WHOM Wash ngton would notihave had
Il as q private Secretary. The power and
-. prestige the Presidency has lost has
been ga ned by The reople and will new
-r & n rer4 depart from them No President
4 win eyer agan hold the high and con-
II trolling pos ton which was held by the
y first seven Presidents and it is not de-
egs sirable that he should. Presidential
49, - government was necessary in its day,
s. but its day has long since passed, and
F -.s the better government OF the people is
e now firmly established and never likely
to he SUPP lanted while popular liberty
s endures.-St. Loais Republican. ''.'
...s ~ srrs About Polk and Vincent. aA !
The recent depredations of State
Treasurers Polk and Vincent have given
- - the Radical mouthpieces welcome OPP
portunity to vent their spleen and prac