Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-01-15
OLYMPIA. SATURDAY. MORNING, JAN. Is, 1870.
In a Quandary.

Inc NarHeluc oISduS, tHc n.y. """ '"o
Union, labor as only the whale which swal-
lowed Jonah laborcd, in their attempts to
sustain their chief, but 10 will stick in
the throat and refuse to stay down despite
all they can do. The discussion Of the
glorious principles of Rcpublicanism has
lost its charm, with him as its exponent
constantly presented to their minds eye.
They cannot sing those joyous peans to the
spirit of John Brown, when Garieldc
helped to hang the martyr" They can
not glorify "thc lamented" Lincoln, for it
would be discordant music to his ears.
They dare not curse secessionists, for fear
of treading on those old corns which formed
while on tramp in British territory.
They cannot vent their pent up anguish
on Andrew johnson, for Gar6eldc was his
enthusiastic admirer and wrote johnson
resolutions and make his clerks "pony" for
"the cause" They cannot ventilate their
g time honored principles, j" for Garfieldein
his letter to Hon. j. W. Nesmith, says,
i" I never was ultra in anything, and new
er can be-" They cannot abuse men who
have done so much for tho Democratic
party in times past as Gen. w. W. Miller,
for Garfelde further says, "Gen. Miller's
political opinions are in unison with mine,
and we both agree in supporting the Ad-
ministration against the flood Of Fanati-
cism which at present is inundating the
country" They cannot applaud Congress,
for in the same letter he declares that
"the amnesty proclamation restored all to
full, absolute and unconditional citizenship,
and thereafter neither Congress nor any
other authority had any power to prescribe
additional terms as condition precedent to
the exercise and enjoyment Of the full
rights of citizenship" They cannot boast
of the destiny of their party, for Gar6eldc
tells Mr.. Nesmith that he "desires evenin
this sparsely populated Territory, to build
up bulwark of his [Ncsmith's] friends,
who can and v;W shape its destiny" They
cannot allude to his morality, for he aban-
doned the sacred desk to wallow and grow
ell in the filthy pool Of politics; nor to his
temperance record, for the VOW recorded
in heaven" has been broken.
So the task is no easy one which our co.
temporaries have so resolutely set them
selves at work upon. Their argument be-
gins. and ends with: Garfelde is an able
man, and we need an able advocate to rep
resent our wants at Washington. We adj
init it. Benedict Arnold may have been
an able man, as the phrase goes, but that
feet has not exalted his name in American
history, nor would it have fitted him to
represent constituency in Congress with
out some good and sufficient guaranty that
he would not bctray the trust. The Age
and Union should have learned before this
that talents not the talismen to overcome
the obdurate hearts of Radical Congress.
men. Their whole mind and soul is
wrapped up in the single desire to retain
their stalls at the public crib, and party is
The watchword which opens their hearts.
A man who has betrayed his party, who
has jumped from devout Southern SYM
pathizer to sharer in the spoils he did not
help to earn, will find but little aid and
sympathy. They do not propose to be
Johnsonized again, even, by their camp
followers. So it is fair to presume that
Gar6elde's political record will balancehis
eloqueuce aud talent, and leave enough
duplicity and treachery to condemn him to
eternal perdition besides.
What has the silver-keycd bugle done
for US this far? For months eager friends
have leaned over the bar or set beside the