Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-04-09
GARFIELD ON REVOLUTION,

WEDNESDAY MORNING, APRIL. ., 1870.
GARFIELD ON REVOLUTION.
The House of Representatives, we
are advised, was quite excited on
recently over speech made by Mr..
Garfield, the recognized loaderof there
publican party IN that body, deputized
especially on this OCCASION to inform
what that party calls "the ear Of the
country" why it makes opposition to
the proposed repeal by the Democracy
of certain obnoxious features of the
federal election laws, devised and ex-
ercised by the Republican party to
prevent free and fair elections and to
keep it in power after the unfettered
will OF the people would dislodge it.
AS Mr.. Garfield was warmly congrat-
ulated by his party colleagues, and as
the committee of his political faith
ordered 100000 copies OF his speech
for circulation, no less than by reason
Of his position as party leader and his
present special commission, it may be
assumed that the case which he under.
took to argue could not be more
strongly put than he put it, especially
as he did not assn me to speak on the
gu estion pending, but on the entire is
sue presented by the Democratic atti-
tude. The points which he makes are
not addressed 10 the propriety or i'm
propriety of the laws which the Dem
ocracy seek TO repeal. Mr.. Garfield
wisely avoids that question. 1t is the
proposed manner of their repeal that
shocks him and offends the moral sense
of his party of great moral ideas. Mr..
Garfield, to state what he says IN a
nutshell, wants the country to believe
that the proposed course of the Dem.
ocracy is revolutionary, unprecedented
and traitorous; that it would coerce a
co ordinate branch Of the government,
practice system Of Legislation hitherto
unheard Of, and, as the rebellion of 81
sought to shoot the government to
death, a rebellion is now being foment-
cd to starve it TO death.
Mr.. Garfield may be the biggest
man in his party and his speech may be
the strongest possible presentation of
its case but we would think very
poorly Of the Democrats in the House
il the meanest among them is not able
to unhorso Mr.. Garfield by marshalling
against him plain facts to prove that
the Democratic programme is orderly,
Identical with Republican precedents
and aimed at results which secure only
the highest constitutional rights; that
the manner Of repeal of the obnoxious
federal election laws is such that Mr..
Hayes has no right to question it with
out mourning the odium of trying to
coerce Congress that similar legisla-
tion has been effected by the Repub-
licans time and again and that in
stead of beng traitorous in its pur-
poses, the legislation sought by the
Democracy has in view nothing but
free elections, unawed by the military
and unspoiled by the rounder.
Mr.. Garfield says that because Con-
gress will offer to Mr.. Hayes only the
opportunity to sign the repeals with
the appropriation bills, or to veto the
appropriation bills with the repeals,
therefore an attempt is made to coerce
the executive at the peril Of destroy
ing the government. This talk about
destroying the government" about
revolution and "utter annihilation
Of the nation, because shrewd political
management puts fraudulent Presi.
dent into "split stick" would be
the veriest bosh, even if the position Of
Congress and Hayes were as Garfield
states it, and he would be put down as
a fool for thus ranting about it, But
since il is not thus, and he is therefore
exempted from the cap and bells, he
must be written down knave for at
tempting TO mako il appear so, when
the simple truth is that the Democrats
are perfectly willing to vote all the
money necessary to carry on the gov
crnment. They will pass the appro-
priation bills and add to them the re.
peal of the obnoxious laws. Then the
responsibility will be with Hayes. II
he seeks his party's profit above his
country's good II ho would rather
"starve the government to death y
than yieldapoint Bipartisan advantage
il he would undertake to coerce Con
gress and to bulldoze it into making
party capital for his friends, then he
will veto the appropriation bills. The
responsibility and odium of the meas
ure must rest with him, and him alone
If all the doleiul things happen that
Garfield foretells, he and no other will
have brought them on. He is to have
a fair chance. Tho supplies necessary
; 20 the government are to be voted him
If he cuts them off simply because biz
party cannot get an advantage sought
it is he who seeks TO overturn the free
exercise of that independent power o.
legislation lodged by the constitution
in the representatives Of the people
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