The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1880-09-08
Campaign Idiots.

close. Our Republican contempt
saries are supporting for the highest
Office in the United States q man
whom few years ago they denounc-
ed as unfit to be a Congressman
This is a fact which everybody
understands, and which cannot be
Explained away. The New York
Tribune, for example, may chant as
many paeans as it chooses in its can
didate's praise, but they do not
silence the voice thatsounds from Its
own files proclaiming Mr.. Garfield
by name as one of group Of men
who 'betrayed the trust of the people,
deceived their constituents, and by
evasions and falsehoods confessed the
transactions Gin Credit Mobilier
stock) to be disgraceful." The New
York Times, in its most able advocacy
of bad cause, cannot get away from
its reminder to Mr.. Garfield of seven
years ago that untrue evidence
given under oath is morally, if not
legally perjury and that in his eff
forts to escape dishonor by falsehoods
he presented "a most distressing
figure"
But if the consciences Of our secu-
lar Republican contemporaries are
thus put on the rack in the effort to
champion Mr.. Garfield, what shall
be said Of the pressure under which
a professedly religious journal like
the New York lndependontmustlabor
which has to support the Republican
candidate in the face Of such char
acterization Of him, by itself, as the
following2 We quote from the lead
ing editorial of the Independent Of
July 80, 1874:
The most sterling moral integrity
should be reqired. Let electors look
very sharply at charges which affect
the purity of their servants. An
honest man will not shrink from the
thorough scrutiny of his official acts.
Let US take an example. The
Nineteenth Congressional district of
Ohio has been represented for twelve
years by James A. Garfield, He is
one of the ablest and most promising
members of Congress. He is a man
of uncommon culture, a graduate of
an Eastern college, was for some time
principal of an excellent school in
Ohio, and a preacher, we believe, in
the denomination which supported
it, and afterward lawyer. lie has
risen rapidly in Congress, until he
occupies the Craftsmanship of the
committee which is second in import
ance in the House. Hisconstituents
have been very proud of him, and
have had reason for their pride.
But were we citizens of the Nine.
teenth district of Ohio, we should
seek Of Mr.. Garfield very clear ex-
plantations of his conduct before con.
senting to vote for his reelection
We refer only to the facts in his late
career, which we judge of simply
from the uncotradicted record.
We cannot forget that he WAS
more deeply involved in the sad
Credit Mobilier difiiclty than any
other member of the House of Rep
resentatiyes- excepting, of course,
Ames and Brooks. After such an
experience he ought to have been
extremely cautious. But tho testi-
mony taken in the investigation of
the District Of Columbia frauds shows
that Garfield received $1,000 for his
aid in getting through paving con
tract accepted by the District gov.
erument. A Mr., Parsons, q notorious
jobber, made an argument for the
paving company, and then got Mr..
Garfield to make a further argument
and to use his personal influence in
its favor. OF course Mr.. Garfeld's
argument was successful. How
could it be otherwise2 He was chair
man Of the committee on appropria.
ticns. Every cent Of money voted to
the district had to come through him.
Shepherd could not afford to refuse
him anything he asked, aud Mr..
Garfield knew it when he asked and
received for his services fee which
would have been extravagant but
for his official position.
That is, so far as the case is known
to the public; for $5, 600 he was will
ing to sellto the Mcclellan contract.
or his influence as Legislator. For
$4,000 he was willing to use his posi-.
ton as guardian of the treasury of
the nation to make the District gov
eminent award n profitable contract.
So far as most men can see, $4,000
was an -extraVapunt nrice FIR nnv