New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-11-22
EYlDENCE FOR THE RECORD.

II was an official furciiuu as we'll as an act Oh
geutlemanly courtesy for President CeVs'".u
to recognize the merits of his prt deceSs"i !"
the proclamation announcing his death, ana lie
pe,formed it we'll. Hs proclamation was ID
excellent taste, BETTING the grave occas'on'
end bonorable alike to the Chief Magistrate
who issued II and to the departed Presiuen'
whose unusual trials and rare MANHOOD III
meeting them 1t called to mind 10 suppose
that the President meant to be UNDERSTOOD as
uttering words of insincere anu hoho" co"p"
ment would be to insult him.
President Arthur was the last or the me OF
Repnbl;can Presidents. He was in office
when President Cleveland was eiecten, ana was
then directing the public service I'D ali 's
branches II ia the testimony OF fresldeht
Cleveland that he performed the duties OF DIS
Office With dignity and ability" with :" per-
soual worth and patriotic fidelity" lh's I"
much to say, and the President deserves hon"r
for saving it in words so straightforward anu
manly.
But since this is the truth. what were Presi-
dent Clevrands supporters telling when they
asserted in 1854 that the public service WAS
ho,.vcombed With fraud, and rotten from end
., endP Were thew telling tn. trnth. when
thew declared that President Arthur suffered
,hs Government to be- rubbed by Secretary
Chandler IN the conduct of the Navy Depart
meut. and hy Secretary Teller in the contact
of the interior Dep irtnl-nGf w re they 'eI-
ing the truth when they charged that inc
Treasury Department was administered Tor
th.. .nsft of blnkprs and rich Operators ana
that the people were swindled 0ut OF millions
throuoh its management7 We're they telling
the truth when they affirmed that these ana
o,ber drpurtments at Washington were
crowded with worthless pensioners OF party or
tools of corrupt officials; tn 1t the rascals filled
pnb.ic places, and that the rights and interests
of The people were not re2ardedf
II comes 10 this, that they were lying. or else
President Cleveland has uttered co"ph-
meutsry words which he knew to be untrue.
No one will believe the latter had ne honestly
believed President Arthur incompetent or
lacking in ability or impair otic. ar unfaithfn'
10 his trust, he would have chosen Other words
in which 10 annonnce, without offence ana YET
ritbont fasrhnod, the death of his rre1eces-
sor. Bnt there il no m iddle ground. For frrsi-
dent Arthur vas not dummy in affairs. lie
had beep trained in business and in law, trained
in the Army and in Civil Service, trained
in politics end in executive duties. lie was an
industrious worker; men now Know that ne
cut short his life by his rigid fidelity In atten-
ton to official duties. He was not weak III
easily hoodwinked man on the contrary, lew
oere keener to detect misconduct. III ne was
patriotic and faithful, with such qualifications
q, d such experience the conduct OF the pubic
service during three and half years under his
control WAS not such as TO rob the people or to
fill the service with rascals.
The world knew it was not before President
Cleveland testified. 1t knew from frank ad-
missions of Democratic Off .ials in the various
departments, shortly after the new men came
in, that the service was marvelouslg Ell clent,
honest and faithful. 1t knew from official
records that the lnsses by pecnlation and fiaud
IN collecting and di sbur-ing public moneys had
been less than fifth OF cent on Sl,Ooo
under President Arthur. and less than third
of a cent under President Hayes, against So 81
under President Buchanan, the last OF Demo-
cratic Presidents, and $ll Al under President
Van Buren,, the first of the modern Democrats
who applied the doctrine. To the vlctors be-
long the spos." Where the worst OF the
Democratic Presidents suffered the service u
be 40 conducted that $5.7l5 was lost or stolen.
and the best of the Democratic Presidents so
conducted it that only Sl,7S0 was lost or
STOLEN. less than 81 was lost or stolen under
President Arthur. The truth is that President
| Cleveland acknowl ged but the well-known
and established fact. while his supporters had
| filed the air with shameless falsenoOds in
| order to elect him. 1t is inst as we'll to have
the fact officially recorded for future USE.