Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1880-06-19
EDITORIAL NOTES.
A WEAPON FURNISHED BY THE
ENEMY.


ent Republican nominee for President.
In District so overwhelmingly Repub-
lican as to preclude the possibility of
his defeat this struggle against the tide
of partizan enthusiasm has been per-
sisted in simply from candid belief
that the man was unfit to represent any
honest constituency. That he has now
been chosen, by tile trading, intriguing,
Chicago Convention, as compromise
between other equally dishonest can
didates in no way disproyes the correct
ness of this opinion. Per contra the re-
suit but serves to establish its truth.
Six years ago the Republicans of Lake
County denounced his course in Con-
gress and formally demanded his resig-
nation Four years ago the leaders of
the same party declared of him in Dis
trict Convention, that strebuked, shorn
of character for truth and integrity. all
that is noble in manhood, almost defeat
ed, he stands sad and blackened mon-
ument of avarice and greed" That
others have seen fit to change their ex-
pressions in no way affects the position
of the JOURNAL. The facts then alleged
against him stand to-day and have never
been disproved. A large majority of
his own party, by resolution and by
votes have recorded their verdict that
he is man so tainted with fraud and
corruption as to have forfeited all claims
to their respect and support. The rea-
sons which were cogeut enough to then
ioduce this action on the part of those
belonging to the same political organi-
cation would still be powerful enough
to justify the continued opposition of
the JOURNAL even were it not of opposite
political faith. By the selection of Mr..
Garfield as its standard bearer the Re-
publican party is at once put upon the
defensive as the champion of corrupt
legislation, venality, fraud and dishon-
esty.
The Indictment upon which Mr.. Gar
field and his party must be tried before
the people, this fall, is ore which can
not but bring the blush of shame to the
cheek of everyone who, reading it, re-
fleets that the man staggering under its
charges has vet been audaciously put
forward as the candidate of 'sgreat,
moral. reform party' and is even now
brazenly asking the suffrages of the
people whom he has betrayed, to elevate
him to the chief magistracy of the ma
ton
1or I,o- of 1,o
leading Republicans of this Congress
sional Districtmet in convention to pro-
test against the reelection of Mr.. Gar
field to Congress and to formulate the
charges upon which to arraign him be-
fore his constituents. Although pre-
pared by men, many of whom had been
lifelong members of his own political
party, and some of whom are now again
numbered among his supporters even
while privately persisting in the truth
of the charges then made, we repro
duce these resolutions. as fair state
ment of certain of the corrupt acts of
James A. Garfield. They cannot be
said to have come of>partizan malice for
they originated in his own party. Re-
publicans cannot deny them without
stultifying men who are now looked up
on as leaders OF the party and bosom
friends of their candidate. In 1876
these men said:
Res0lced, that there is no-man to-day
officially connected with the admfnistra-
tion of our national government against
whom are justly preferred more and grav-
er charges of corruption than are public
lv made and abundantIy sustained
against James A Garfield, the present
representative of this, Congressional Dis
trict. and the nominee of the Republican
Convention for reelection.
Res0lUed. that since he first entered
Congress to this day there is scarcely an
instance in which rings and mouOpOlies
ot the people, that he has been found ac-
tive in SpeechsOr vote upou the side of the
latter, but in almost every case he has
been the ready champion OF the rings and
monopolies.
Res0l0ed. that we especially charge him
with venality and cowardice in permit
ting Benjamin f. Butler to attach to the
appropriation bill of 1873 that ever-to- be-
remembered infamy, the Salary Steal;
and in speaking and voting tor tha at meas
ure upon its final pnssage. And charge
him with corrupt digregard of the clearly
expressed demand of his constituents
with evading said demand by voting for
the Hutchinson Amendment.
Res0IUed, that we sfurther arraign and
denonnce him for his corrupt connection
with the Credit Nj obilier. for his false
denials thereof before his constituents,
Tor his perjured denial thereof before a
committee of bis peers in Congress, for
fraud upon his constituents in circulating
among them pamphlet purporting to set
forth the finding of SAID Committee and
the evidence against him, when in fact
material portions thereof were omitted
and garbled.
Res0lUed, that we further arraign and
charge him with corrupt bribery in sell
Ing his official influence as Chairman of
the Committee on Appropriations for ST.
000to the DeGolyer Pavement Ring to
aid them in securing contract from the
Board of Public Works of the District oil
Columbia; selling his influence to aid
aid sing In imposing upon the people OF
said District pavement which is almost
worthless at price three times its cost,
as sworn to by one OF it's contractors; sci.
ling his influence to aid said Ring in pro.
curing contract. to procure which it
cerruptly paid $4,000 stfor inffuence;''
selling his influence in matter that in
solyed no question of law, upon the shall.
low pretext that be was acting as law.
yer; selling his influence in manner sc
palpable and clear as to be so found and
declared by an impartial and competani
Court upon an Issue solemnly tried.
ReSOLUeQ, that we arraign him for the
fraudulent manner in which he attempt
ed in his speech delivered at Warren, on
ihe 18th day of September, 1874. to shield
himself from just censure in receiving the
before named 5000, by falsely represent.
ing. in said speech, that the Congress oil
The United States were not responsible
for the acts of said Board, nor the United
States liable for the debts created there
by. when In truth and in fact, as he well
then knew, the said Board of Public
Works and the officers of said District
were but the agents and instruments o.
Congress and the United States were re
sponsibIe for the Indebtedness by them
created.
Resotved, that we arraign him for gross
dereiiction of duty as a member of Con
gress in failing to bring to light and ex.
pose the corruption and abuse In the sale
of post traderships, for which the late
Secretary Belknap was impeached, wheI
the same was brought to his knowledge
by Gen. Hazen, in 1872, and can only ac
count for it upon the supposition that his
manhood was debauched by the corrup
tion fuads. then by him just received, an6
in his own purse.
Res0loed, that the law of 1872 known az
the act tdemonetizing silver, was enacted
in the interest of Gold Rings, Bond-hold