The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-11-19
THE DEAD Ex-PREsIDENr.

Like az our Presidents, Chester a.
Arthur passed into comparative OBJ
security, politically. when ne went out
Of Office. AL that the public has known
concerning him since March Attn, 1885,
was lesrned from the occasional tele-
gram-giving information regarding the
state Of his health. II seems 10 be the
fate o. the President 10 retire from the
head of the nation to oblivion. AS soon
as the prefix lex" attaches to his title,
the-man becomes disqualified for poIit-
ical service; he is really less influential
than other men, and viii be fortunate
indeed if he can keep his memory at all
fresh in the public mind until the day
of his death. The I1bic,-es soon as it
ceases TO worship man as President,
seemingly has no use for him, and
really regards him as inferior to his fell
lows, Grant, more than any other ex-
President, managed to keep himself
before the public, but to do so he en-
ployed his military rather than his civil
record. 1t is high price for an ambi-
tious man to psy-toT four or eight
years OF Office to barter q life Of indie
.pendence and prominence, and accept
oblivion. 1t is also noteworthy that
- our ex-Presidents do net long sur.
vive their retirezoent from office
Either the strain on them while
in Office is 50 great as to break them
down physically, or the sadden transit
ton from the hand of the nation TO a
most Insignificant position IN il, is more
than they can endure. There Is to-day
but one living ez-PFesident and he
would probably haze been dead ere
this if his title 20 the office sad not been
tainted with fraud, or If his mental
capacity were greatez than 1t is.
-Arthur's death causes NO shock in the !
political world. He passes away with
out creating the least disturbance, or
causing anybody te feel that any loss
has been sustained. This is partly on
his own account and partly due TO our
habit of dropping nan when we have |
finished with him The deceased was |
never great, either &c an Official or a |
statesman; indeed. he was in no sense a |
statesman. He was q politician in the |
- brosdest sense of the term as we under
stand it in its ugly significance. he
was trained in q school which taught /
that honesty in politics was less success
fulEthan chieanerE; that principle |
would not win as often SIS cum
ming. The machine" in politics |
had its greatest development if not
its birth in the New York custom
house under Arthur, and thecbject OF
the machine" was the absolute control
of perty, with the consequent spoils
in. the hands of 9 few shrewd Eorkers
who knew best how 10 manipulate the
wires in their own interest. Ire first
formidable protest against the ma
chine"sWhich had reached such de-
gree of working perfection under Ar
thur, Was the bolt OF the MugwuEps in
1884.
But unssvory as was Arthur's Polit-
icsl record up 10 the time o. his election
to the .Eics-Presideucy, since than it
has been good. 1t was s remarkable
revolution that was wrought in him by
the assassination Of President Garfield
From one OF the most unconpromising
of the stalws,t faction OF the Republican
party, learned and prscticed in the
tricks Of the professional politician. he
developed into 3 conservative official
bent on maintaining good government,
free. from political roguery and corrup-
ton. Contrary 20 popular apprshen-
sion, he was less partisan than any OF
his immediate predecessors had been.
and he enGesvored faithfully
ana diligently to correct the
evils that had characterized Republican I
administration. WhEtever may be said I
OF his earlier political career, it must be {
conceded by sll that Arthur's was an
Gble, honest and successful admlnistra-
ton. So well pleased with him was his
party that had IL not been for the Gun /
ming OF a shrewder politiciaE and better o
Arthur would have been d
dominated in 1884 for the Presidency. {
Personally, M. Arthur was a most s
genial gentleman, much given 10 society p
md devoied,y attached TO his friends. b
# whom he had many. He was what v
5 known as high liver, and il IS due Il
o his social excuses more than 70 any Il
,ther Cause that he lays down his life Il
werty years before he should hsre q
one.