The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-03-11
CHESTER ALAN ARTHUR.

nomlns ting John Sherman for Pres
lent in the Republican Nationa
lConvention Of 1880. Gen. Garfield
appealing To the cooler judgment o
the Convention from fne excitement
into which it had been thrown b,
preceding speakers. said:
: have seen the sea lashed witt
fury and tossed with spray, and It's
lerandeur moves the soul of the dull
est man; but | remrmber that 1t j.
not the billowS, but toe calm level 0,
the sea, from which all heights and
depths are measured" In closing
he said of his candidate: " | do not
claim for his hand the touch of mag
ic; least OF all would claim FOL
him tue doubtful talent of pyrotech-
nies but | do claim that he in the
administration of public affairs
would give u the most precious Gift
that We could ask absolute safety
to all the great and varied interests
of the Ian d. His Misunderstanding
would afford the most ab>o ute safety
to the humblest citizsn appealing for
his rights. Ii is such man, In the
era OF peace, and for the purposes OF
peace, statesman in the very best
sense OF the word, that we would put
at the helm of state"
1t is President Arth7r's good for.
tune-and an experience very rare
in our political history-that at the
expiration of his term he need not
wait anv subsidence of the billows
for that calm level from which his
own fame and the merits of his adj
ninistration may be measured. Still
more Is he fortunate IN the circum-
stance that in the measurement from
this calm level. bv the almost uni
versal Judgment of his fellow citizens
he sud his administration realize
pprftctI the ideal portrayed in the
above quotation.
The conditions surrounding Presi-
dent Arthur's youth were not such
as the Young lnen of the present day
would deem agreeable or prosperous
hut they proved fortunate for bin,
since they favored the development
of his strong, sy mne'rical, and self
reliant character. From his father
IA Baptist clergyman born in Ireland.
graduated from Belfast University,
and settled iu Vermont, he inherited
with an earnest love OF justice and
profound hatred for al forms of oD-
preston. strenu0usness OF will and
strength Of purpose which led him
at the beginning of his professional
practice 10 brave hostile public SEN
timent aud the bitterness of color
aud caste prejudice, III the defense of
the slave and the championship OF
the despised negro. At his fathers
knee the foundation Of his educa-
ton was 50 veil ard broadly laid
that when graduated from Union
College at tire age OF eighteen, III the
class Of 1S49, he was among the first
six scholars in a class of over 100
members.
In 1888, having been admitted to
the bar. and become a memher OF the
aw firm of Culver Parker & Arthur,
in this city, he distinguished him
self by zeal and ability in the fl
NOUS Lemmon slave cases. IT. 1875
he secured verdict against the
Fourth Avenue Railroad Company
in favor of colored woman who
bad been elected from one of the
company's cars under a rule forbid
ding the use OF them TO col0red peo-
pie. By this decision OF the courts
the street railroad companies were
COMPELLED TO rescind the obnoxious
rule, and admit colored people to
equal privileges with the whites
With bis auiecedeHts and training,
aud this short but significant profess
sional record, it was not strange that
III the political crystalization which
made such rapid progress IN the pc
riod hetW een 1854 and 1886 Mr.. Ar
thur was found active and promi-
nent. He was among the founders,
one Of the charter memberr, OF the
Republican party As 4 Wing, IN
1852, he had been inspector OF cleo
tious ia his ward. As a Republican,
in 1886, he was one OF the most act
i've members OF the Young Mems
Vigilance Committee. Here he be-
came acquainted With Edwin ID
Morgan, afterward Governor and
UAited States Senator, then one of
the most enthusiastic workers for
Fremont II Was upon bis personal
knowledge OF Mr Arthur's business
capacity, his fidelity and thorough
Integrity, that Governor Morgan af-
terNard appointed him. first a En-
gitter-ii Chief on his 81. Fl, aud later
State G ,triernaster-General. IL is
largely due 10 his admirable man-
agemenl, his skill and tact, his ex-
cellert Judgment, fertility ufresource
and readiness for emergencies, that
tie State was enabled Ia seud To the
front 690O0U men, nearly one fifth
of the entire army. It's worthy OF
note that in this connection that IN
a period when temptations To specu-
jate upon the necessities of the gov
ernmegt abounded, aud large for
tunes were made upon government
contracts. Mr.. Arthur, occupying a
position which offered the most al
Turing opportunities for self-aggraud-
izement, kept himself above the
shadow of suspicion, aud left the Of
fee poorer than when he entered it.
Retiring from the office of Quar-
termaslet-Gcneral upon the access
ION of Democratic State ddmlsis-
tration in 1864, be resumed the prae-
tice of his profession. He held Tor
a short time the office cf counsel to
the City Department of Taxes and
Assessments, bat resigned it rather
tnan submit to Tammany dictatloR.
La 1871 he formed the well known
law firm of Arthur. P,elp-, Knevals
Il Ransom. In November of that
year, at the urgent solicitation OF
President Grant. he accepted the Of
flee of Collector of Customs of the
Port of New York. The same quali-
ties which had brought him success
in other positions contributed 20 the
efficiency aud popularity Of his adj