The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-05-21
TELEGRAPH1C.
M'VEAGH'S ONSLAUGHT
Savage Attack on the President by
the Keystone Reformer,
And Some Comments Thereon-Cassi-
dy's Visit to TiIden-A Way to
Beat Bob Lfneoin-P0h-
teal Notes,

PHILADELPHIA, May 2l.-The Times con-
tains an open letter from ex-Attorney Gen
eial MacVeagh to ex-Secretary Bristow on
Arthur as a presidential candidate. 1t opens
thus: Il notice that you are announced
to address the meeting in New
York in support of the proposition
that the political career of Chester A. Ar
thur makes his election to the presidency by
the votes of his fellow citizens more deslra-
BILE than that for instance Of Senator I'd
munds or Senator Sherman or any other or
our eminent public men whose names
are frequently used in connection with
that great office. As you extorted
my admiration and support and MR
Arthur's contemptuous hostility eight
years ago by your efforts to bring the guilty
in high places to punishment, | am sorry to
find myself differing SO radically from you as
to the present duty of men who care for
higher and purer public life. But my warm
personal regard for you makes me desirous
that your speech should be good speech,
even in bad cause. venture, therefore,
to offer you few suggestions at the
threshold. l ought to warn you that while
nobody envies Mr.. AIthur's great price, as
far beyond his expectations as his deserts,
which he drew "in the lottery Of assassina
tion," yet nobody has forgotten the preg-
nant fact that Guiteau.was an original Arthur
man, that he killed President Garfield ex-
pressly to make Mr.. Arthur president, and
that he did make him president by that act
for nearly four years. Now, in view of this
awful tragedy and its results, it has always
seemed to good many people, outside Wall
street of course, that proper sense Of de-
cency and of the fitness of things would
have led President Arthur and his friends
to see that his true course was to be satisfied
with one term thus secured to him, and not
to challenge his countrymen to renew his
political career, and to express their opinion
of it. As, however, you propose to hold up that
career as worthy of especial honor, and even
OF the highest Office in the gift of the people
in preferences, for example, to the political
career of Senator Edmunds or Senator Sher-
man, l will gladly help you to few points in
the line of your argument"
McVeagh then cites the building up and
managing of the Republican machine" of
the city of New York, ito the noble attitude
Mr. Arthur maintained toward the civil
service orders of President Hayes, defying
both the president and secretary of the treas
or resign his office;" ito the third term
to the speech at the Dorsey banquet
the first and last occasion in our history
when one man publicly praised another fol
bribing voters; to Mr.. Arthur's part in the
designations of Mr.. Conkling and Mr.. Plstt
and his conduct at Albany until summoned
to Washington by the sound of Guiteau's
pistol" to mad riot of calumny and de
famation of the dead Garfield, in which
| for many months, the most intimate friend.
and associates of Mr.. Arthur indulged" Tht
remainder of the points are in the same line
NEW YORK COMMENT.
NEW YORK, May 2l.-"pd like to see Mr.
MacVeagh come here and deliver that speech
himself, said the Hon. G. McCord, when in
formed of the character of the communica
tion received by Mr. Bristow.
Il am not interested in anything that esti
mable and eccentric gentleman may write,
said Mr. John J. O'Brisn, referring to tn,
MacVeagh letter When he and Georg
Francis Train get through writing may af
ford time to sit down and run through theiI
effusions There are assassins who use re
yolvers and assassins Of character who US
their envenomed tongue and poison tppet
pens. Ar. MacVeagh's brutal remark vii
injure 10 one but kmsslf, or else l do no
know the temper of the American people"
The Morning Journal, commenting upol
the letter, says: "Resublican Statesmen
should not scratch one another's faces in thi
way. 1t spoils their beauty and makes tn
Democratic host so merry that all must shar
in their soulful laughter"