West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-09-19
The Record or Four Years.

The Republican party can not ask for |
| new lease of power ON the character |
VI its candidates Blaine is a bright /.
and versatile man. but he has done /
nothing IN the course of long public I.
service To establish "A claim To Statcs- /
manShip. lie is believed To be dishon. I
est, he is known To bo tricky. aud thcro .
lS every reason To fear that he would
prove whimsical and uncertain, il not .
II corrupt President Logan was "A Good
soldier but he has been very poor Sen /
ator The Republicans, therefore. must
mako their canvass on the record Of
their party, and the most important
part of that record for the purposes of
the present campaign should he the last
Tour years. The organization has no
right To appeal to the people for approv-
al unless il has done we'll since thev last
approved of IL. What are the tactsp
Tho Secretary of the Republican Nation
al Committee has virtually confessed
that the state of Indiana, tho pivotal
point in the Presidential canvass of
$50, was carried 10y tho corrupt u>c of
money in that year. At "a banquet i'm
honor of that gentleman in New York,
whore the chief mon of the party were
assembled. he was praised for tho skill
which ho had displayed in bringing To
pass the unexpected in In Llama, and
the fact that he had won success by
bribery was openly acknowledged
ana treated rs n matter of
glorlication Nicc-prcsidcnt Arthur
himself mado II speech in which he
tested about Dorscy's achievements
through the liberal use of soap" No
sooner was President Garfield inauUu-
rated than it was discovered that huge
system of fraud had been i'm operation
during the previous Republican Admin
lslratlon, and measures were taken TO
bring the rogucs who were responsible
for IT to Justice. Chief among them
was the Secretary Of tho Republican
National Committee. who had been
ictcd n the savior of the party, and
hc not unuaturally looked for immunity
for himself and his associates from the
oihcials who were the bcnelicaries of
these frauds. Even long before Gar
field entered upon his duties as Prcsi-
dent fierce quarrel had broken out
, over the distribution of the spoils and
alter his Inauguration the quarrel grew
, more bitter day by day. One faction
of Republicans, the leader of which
was the present Republican candidate
for the Presidency, claimed the con-
troll OF the Federal patronage as their
prerogatvc; the other faction, at tho
head of which was Roscoe COnkling,
claimed a right to "A share OF the Fed
cral patronage ON the ground that il
} had been solemnly promised to them TO
secure their active support during the
: Presidential canvass. The quarrel grew
80 fast and furious that Conkling and
: his colleague IN the United States Sen
, ate resigned and appealed to the Lcgis.
= laturc of New York for an approval of
A. their course hy "a election. The most
= shameless contest in the annals Of our
State cnsucd. The Vice President an
! pcarcd I'm the lobby of the Capitol;
there were scarcely concealed attempts
ut bribery; and to crown all the defeat
of one of the candidates was brought
about by one of those scandalous de-
vices To which Republican politicians
generally resort as "a desperate remedy.
Before the contest was brought To n
! close the evil excitement which il kin
: died had prompted disappO nted of
flee seeker 10 murder President Garfield
Ills Administration had been marked
by series of disgraccful appoint
ments, some Of which were clearly the
result OF pre- election bargains. Among
the worst Of these was the selection OF
Stanley Matthews for the Supreme
Court. OF two serious tasks which de-
volycd upon Garfield and his Cabinet,
one. the punishment Of the Star-route
: thieves, was begun with zeal but carried
} on coldlyi the other, the vindicatiOn of
! tho rights of American citizens impris-
oncd without trial i'm ireland, was
shamcfully neglected I'm exclamation
il may be said that the woundino of
President Garfield and his long and
lingering illness prevented any serious
devotion to public business for time
on the part Of Federal officials. The
Administration nf President Arthur took
up the task Of furnishing The Star-route
thieves and make costly and ignomini-
Gus failure; it took up the task Of pro-
| tcctiuL American citizens abroad and
achieved at least a measurable success.
3hOsc imprisoned under the Coercion net
Of March 1891 were liberated a short
time before the act expired by lfmita-
ton. So far as known the Administra-
ton has been honest and decent in the
: conduct OF ordinary official business.
and the appointments under IL have
been in the main crcditabic. The great
est scandal outside Of the failure nf the
prosecution Of Dorsey and his comrades
was The attempt 10 secure pOical con
} troll Of this State for the Administra-
, / ton by the election Of n Cabinet officer
; as Governor. In that scheme the Stall
/ warts got possession Of the Republican
state Convention at Saratoga by fraud
and nominated FOlger The result was
salutary defeat Of The Republican
J party al along tho line, which brought
about a revision Of the tariff that the
Republicans i'm 1880 had declared IL
3 sacrilege 10 moddlc with and tho pass
age OF the Civil service law which is
now happily iu operation. We say
Z confidently that 10 would be dini-
, cult TO find anywhere so disgracoful
q record for tic space Of four years II
covers bribery NJ the ballOt-box. bribery
IN the Legislature, boasting openly Of
! corruption, bargains in regard to the
spoils, qusrrels about the ful6llment Of
these bargains. employment Of feminine
dccoys and spying through hotel fran
= SONS. neglect Of public duty. misman-
agcmcnt. collusion with criminals. for
! gerry for political ends and assassna-
ton. We say that on such a record 10
s shameless impudence for the Repub-
lican party 70 ask the people To eject
il- candidates. Some little conscious
) ness of the weakness of their case is
manifest in the fact that the Republic
an loader. did not dare to put forward
r the head Of fho a dim fui - ticp f,y. c1oo