Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-10-27
JAMES A. GARFIELD.

as much as possible about him-about
his real life and character. Ibis desire
has been well illustrated In the case OF
General Garfield, but not satisfied; on
the contrary, now that it is made GER
tain that he will be elected, the desire
for more and more intimate informa-
tion about the Republican candidate is
Increased rather than diminished.
THE wELL-ToLD STORY.
The story of his early life has been
often and well told. How he was born
in log cabin, like Lincoln; his fathers
sudden death when he was one and q
half years old; how his brave mother,
slight but healthy and piucky little
woman, split rails herself, and fenced
the crop her husband had planted be-
fore his death; how "James" grew In
body and in flavor with God and men -
how he read foolish stories of advent
ures on the ocean, and resolved to be
sailor; how he run away from home
and worked on the canal; whipped q
bully who imposed on him; fell over
board and nearly drowned; took the
ague and went home; stood at the door
and heard his mother praying for him;
went in and went to bed and was sick
for long time; went to school and
taught school; went to the academy
and rung the bell and ''swept OUT to
pay his tuition; worked at the car
penter's bench to pay his boarding;
finally went to college and graduated
with honor; came home, taught Latin
and Greek, and became president OF
'sone- horse college," how he lectured,
debated, and preached; how he was
elected state senator; how he enlisted
in the army and was made colonel;
how he whipped Humphrey Marshall
and was made a brigadler; how he
fought at Stone River and Chicka
manga, and was made major general;
how he was elected to Congress, and re-
elected nine times; how gloriously he
how grandly he was nominated for
president, and what great speeches he
has made, and what grand things he
has said, and what a great scholar he
is--all these things have been told and
retold; but they are not just the things
the people want to know. They want
to know the average everyday life of
the man, and from it make their own
estimate of his character. It amt his
average everyday life to be born in a
cabin; besides, a great many other
people were born in cabins, and it's not
so very romantic after all. and not at
all an essential qualification for the
presidency. Other boys have been
born in cabins; other boys fathers
have died; other boys have been
oh r1,
to run away from home, to the sorrow
OF mother and friends, and have
sneaked back when sickness came upon
them and they needed nursing and
care. Thousands of others have
worked as Garfield worked for an edu-
cation; have taught school, and went
to the war and been promoted for good
conduct-for doing their duty. A
good many have been elected to Con-
gress, and made speeches and said
many wise and good and pretty things.
In all this James A. Garfield is only
like many of his fellow-men. But he
has always been looked upon in all
these stations and conditions of life as
someway superior to the average of his
associates. He was more industrious,
more earnest, fuller of resources
short, more powerful. As man or boy
IN whatever place, it seems to be fact
that he was always leader among his
associates. and now he is pre-eminently
the leader in the grandest associations
of the world-the leader of those who
manage the government of the greatest,
freest, most prosperous and happy
people on the earth.
THE MAN
"The rank is but the guinea stamp,
The mans the gOud for a. that"
The people want to know the man.
Garfield is what his friends call "good
fellow" pleasant, genial, and jolly. He
likes his friends, likes them very much,
and makes them feel SO, and sometimes
tells them SO. He LOUes his mother,
his wife and his children fondly, and
they love him, and their mutual affec-
ton is as percepti5le and grateful and
refreshing as the fragrance of a flower
garden, to all acquaintance of the fam
lily.
THE GARFIELD FAMILY
consists of Grandma" the General,
Mrs. Garfield her name is Lucretia-
her husband, motEer-in-law and init
mate friends call her "Crete'), and the
children. The children are two boys,
one girl, and two more boys. Their
first child was q girl, which died when
few months old. Their last one was
boy that died when about two years
old. Harry. the Oldest living, is Is;
Abram, the youngest, is 8; Jim" is IA
Molly, II; and Irwin, 10 years old.
Harry is quiet, steady boy, very ODE
dent and dutiful, particularly respect
full toward his parents and grand
mother. The writer had an opportu-
nifty of seeing a characteristic letter
which he wrote to his mother shortly
after the Chicago convention, he and
"Jim" being in school at Concord, n
H., at the time. He spoke of the fact
that some of his school mates had man
ifested great deal more interest in
himself and "Jim" since their "pa" was
nominated for president. He evident
ly thought this little snobby, and said