Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1880-06-26
James Abraham Garfield...His Life.
The New York World gives the fol
lowing sketch Of the life of James A
Garfield, the Republican candidate for

James Abraham Garaeld--.His Life.
The New York World gives the fol-
lowing sketch of the life of James A
Garfield, the Republican candidate for
the Presidency: .rsgts as IA. -
James Abraham Garfield He was born No
vember 10, 1881, about fifteen miles from Cleve-
land HIS father, ABRAHAM 5ar arne,a nad tsrne emf
other children. The father died when James
was only three years Ole, leaving the family de-
of themother. Mrs. Garfield, the mother, is
still living at an advanced age. She is woman
average force Of character. OF the children
no one besides James has made the slightest
mark in the world. The older brother is
farmer in Michigan and the two sisters are
farmers wives.
James toiled hard on the farm and also
worked at the carpenters bench in the winter.
But he had an ambition to get an education.
The Ohio Canal ran not far from where he
lived, and, finding that the boatmen got their
pay in cash and earned better wages than he
could make at farming or carpentry, he hired
out as driver on the tewpath and soon got up
Finally he decided to go to school called
Geauga Academy, in an adjoining county. By
and eVenines in S and Vacation times. and teach.
ing country schools during the winter, he man
age9 to attend the academy during the spring
.1 and fall M terms % and to save little money to-
Before he went to college Garfield had con-
ing numerous membership in Eastern and
Southern Ohio, Western Virginia and Ken
tueky, where its founder, AIexander Camp;
popularity of the denomination was its re-
fusal to formulate beliefs into creed, the in
pitality and fraternai feeling Of the members
and the lack of regular ministry. He
worked his way through Williams College with
the struggling little college. of the young
Campbellite sect at Hiram, Portage County,
fessor of Latin and Greek, and in two years
was appointed President of the college. He
frequently spoke on Sundays in the churches
est in the college. Among the Disciples any
one can preach who has mind to do SO, no or
During his professorship Garfield married
Miss Lucretia Randolph, daughter of farm
had dnn ade gWhie at fe aeadem Where s6e
was also pupil The marriage was love af-
fair on both sides, and has been thoroughly
elected to the State Senate. Early in the sum-
mer of1S61 he was elected Colonel of an in
the field IN Eastern Kentucky, from whence
he was transferred to Louisville, and from
that place to the army of General Buell.;
fighting at Pittsburg Landing. He took
part in the siege of Corinth and in the op-
ton railroad. In january, 1883, he was ap
pointed Chief of Staff Of the Army OF the Gum
campaisns h in Middle tennessee in the m Sd sprins
and summer of that year, His last conspicu:
GUS military service was at the battle of Chick.
was promoted to u Major-G -Generaiship. Gen.
| eral Garfield was nominated to Congress while
gress in December, 1858, General GARFIELD was
placed upon the Committed on Military Affairs
He took 1 an active part " the debates Of the
members succeed in gaining. He was not
| popular among his fellow-members during his
| first term. They thought him somewhat of q
pcdant because he sometimes showed his
1 scholarship in his speeches. His committee
/ service during his second term was on the
| 1884 without opposition, but in 1855 there was
an effort made to defeat him, but he contin
| is the most faithful to its representatives OF
any in the North. 1t has had but four mem
| In the Fortieth Congress General Garfield
was Chairman of the Committee on Military
Affairs. In the Forty-first he was given the
Chairmanship of Banking and Currency, ant
next the Craftsmanship of the Appropriation
Committee, which he held until the Democrats
James G. Blaine went to the Senate in 1877, the
mantle of Republican leadership in the HOUSE
was by common consent placed upon Garfield
| He has worn it with singular success, showing
! q better temper and not less skill th,in hi!
| predecessor. In january last General Garfels
was elected to the Senate to the seat which will
be vacated by Allen G. Thurman on the 4th O
General Garfield is the possesseri of twt
hOmeS-One on the corner OF Thirteenth and
| streets, in Washington. and the other in ,
summer house on Little Mountain, a bold ele
/ walton in Lake County which commands aviev
of thirty miles of rich farming country stretch
/ ed along the shore of Lake Erie, with a farm
lying on both sides Of the Lake shore am an,
twenty-five miles away and the pretty town OF
gainesville, named after Mr.. Henry B. Payne
i is but five miles distant. : . =
l. General Garfield has five children living
The two older boys, Harry and james. are nov
az 5e,4 sofo8 fv N fPa Ma bvs a gr
| named Irwin and Abram. The General
| mother has long been member of his family
4 In person General Garfield is six feet high
4 broad-shouldered and strongly built. He ha
| a large head that seems to be three-fOurth
forehead, light-brown hair and beard, large
cheeks He dresses plainly; is fond of broad
brimmed slouch hats and stout boots. 10 IA 2
/ He was, like Blaine and Colfax, ibadt
The Credit Mobilier was joint-stock c5mpan!
/ founded in Paris November IL, 1852, under TIN
on the the principe 81 limited LIABILITY for t
| transaction of a general banking business, II
facilitate the CONSTRUCTION of puBlic works an
se rs
of lAmericsi,s was adopted byLa joint-stocl
oR 5a sz A
having been, purchased by a Qcompan!
organized for the construction Of tn
4 Union Pacific Railroad, the stock was increases
! to So, 150, 600, and afterwards rose to q grea
4 value, paying enormous dividends. In 1872, II
Vania van T respeeting ct M the ownership Of Of stock.
appeared that several members of Congress
Including James IA. Garfield as well as Vice
i President Colfax, were unavowed stool ckholders
This caused a great political scandal, as it ha
often been held to be highly improper for
/ member of Congress to be peeunfar1ly; intel
ested in corporation the profits of Whic
might be largely and directly affected by hi
vote on b1iis concerning Tt.Ihe Iact tnat as
several of, the persons Implicated took an ae
tive part added interest and excitement to tn
tigation in the session of lS72-as In 1873 bot
4 the House and Senate Committees made re
4 their report that none of the Cong ressmen I'm
plicated supposed "that he was guilty of an
impropriety or even indelicacy in becoming
exculpation with incredulity and amazement
The public was astonished and confounde
it appeared that these gentlcmen' M ne Were ,S awsr
of the enormous dividends upon their stock
and how they were earned; we could not acgul
had owned Credit, MobiIfer stock. that the
enormous dividends ON it, and had resorted I
subterfuge to conceal their transactions.
1 Ames was judged guilty of bribery and though
to deserve expulsion for selling the stock
this ,5 manner to these Gongressmen, @ the Pnnii
these corrupt transactions could be guilty. lik
i Ames. and the other parties, like Garhele
innocent. saf,...5q. - 4.,5ftsf-f,..,f In
the Mouse 9skfs Febnary ss 2ae e. iss Mr Feran1
Wood offered the following resolution:
II ReSOlUed, That the House absolutely col
demns the conduct of Samuel Hooper an
Henry L. Dawes, of Massachusetts; WilliaI
D. Kelley, of Pennsylvania; Gienni w; Sec
field, of PENNSYLVANIA; James A. Garfield an
| John A. Bingham, of Ohio, members of tn
i House of Representatives fnasmuch as the
became interested in the Credit Mobilier Q
America, contracting company for the COZ
.struction of the MON Pacific Railroad. an
continued to be SO interested at a time whe
said corporation was dependent on the Ieg1sls
7 tion of Congress for its maintenance and SUI
port.
Mr. Samuel j. Randall made the point {
order that a resolution of censure should
confined to one individual. .s5 af,.tt
/. The Speaker sustained the point of orde
and stated the reasons for the ruling.
Il Subsequently, the House, mainly by a part
vote, refused TO take any action against M
Garfield. The World, on February 2S, 49,
commenting on this action editorfally, said
/" The tenderness of the House toward its o.
Tending members is one of the most alarmin
signs of the times. 1t confirms the prevaleI
impression that great railway corporation
and other moneyed corporations are omnip
tent in controlling legislative bodies, and ths
| members of Congress, like members
4 the State Legislatures, are the willing tools
| great corporations which have money enOug
to buy them. The most prostrating blow evt
struck at popular confidence in leglslatiy
purity was dealt yesterday by the action of ii
, | House in screening its members from d
serving punishment. The great question
the immediate future is the emancipation
Congress and the State Legislatures from II
corrupting influence of great corporations!
Ever since that time General Garfield b,
rested under this. imputation, and no full
Il Tense to the charge has ever been made.
He was also accused of being private cou