The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-08-27
PRESIDENT ARTHUR.

The men of a former generation,
who participated in the national can
vass of 1880, the preconvention pro-
ceedings, the events of the campaign,
and who also recall the stormy times
Of the early months of the Garfield adj
ministration, eliminating in the assas-
sination of the President, will read
with a saddened interest the address
of William e. Chandler, which formed
the leading part of the dedicatory
ceremonies at Fairfield, ON Thursday.
Mr.. Chandler was secretary of the
navy in President Arthur's cabinet
and was competent, in respect OF abil-
ity and knowledge, to speak of his de-
parted chief. He had an inspiring
subject, and the day, the place, the
summer environment, supplied the
elements of appreciative eulogy.
There was everything in the story
of Arthur's career, private and official,
prior to his nomination as vice presi-
dent, to inspire admiration unless,
cal atmosphere of the times, some men,
reformers or blindly partisan, took
account of their prejudices rather than
their sense of justice.
Chester A. Arthur was a man Of
great ability, high character, gen.
tleman in the best sense of the term, a
patriot in the highest acceptance of
the word. He had chivalric spirit
that often impelled him, when he saw
injustice done human being, who
ever was the wrong doer, to espouse
its cause, and he had the ability, tact
and resolution to wiring justice from
reluctant sources. He was not too
good for this world, or too fastidious
for association and cooperation with
men who employed the methods of
"practical politics''-a much abused
phrase-to accomplish good and noble
ends. He was loyal to his friends and
like Grant he stood by them through
good or evil report So, when he was
vice president, and his friend and polit-
ical comrade, Roscoe Oonkling, was in.
volYed in a desperate fight for his po-
litical standing, he shocked the sensi-
bilities of some, high in official sta
tion and among the apostles of re.
form, who were keeping its promise tc
the ear but outraging the sacred cause
in their practices. The president
stood firmly by his friend, in his des-
perate straits, and battled to change
political tragedy into triumph.
When the stormy times of the early
summer months had ripened into as
sassination, and President Garfield
was lingering between life and death
and the air was hot with the ember
of the fires that had been flaming, anC
would have been famed into fury
again by any overt act, or injudiciou
expression by the political enemies o
the wounded President, in his ex
tremely delicate situation Vice Presi
dent Arthur bore himself with sucl
supreme dignity, and with so mucl
signally the nobility of his nature tina
hostile criticism was utterly disarmed
and the pens and tongues that had Blu
lately been laden with bitter accuse
ton and denomination we're addressed
to warm and becoming eulogy.
When the dread crisis came to tn
long dying President, and the vice
president assumed the chief executiv
Office, there was strength and initia
ton of administration, as there mus
necessarily be with such man as wa
Chester A. Arthur at the helm, but
in act and intent, there was peace an
Cancellation. And these attribute
were not the mask of hostile or win
dictive spirit. They were not matter
of policy. They were the moviLgs G
purpose innately noble. The sci
Amounted high priests of reform, VIII
had made Mr.. Arthur the mark {
their direst maledictions, were fain t
put their hands on their mouths an
their mouths in the DUST after til
object of their evil Examinations ha
cleared away the wreokage Of the lat
catastrophe and had fairly got I'll
swing of the presidency. He gave tt
professional reformers points and fl
outstripped them in the developmel
and introduction of real, practical r.
form in the civil service of the govern
ment. Under his administration I'll
'cause" advanced by strides and whe
his administration ended, what I'll
PROFESSIONAL" had been unable
do, or had SO bungled in their effor
to do as to split a great party in