Daily globe., 1880-07-17
AHARD RoADror TEL gEL.

a IL dfGD ftOdD ~ thd
Taking one consideration with another, q
candidates lot is not happy one. Mr..
Garfield has no doubt come to realizing
sense of this fact ere now, and can also
appreciate the difference between the candi-
date IN locality with pronounced major
ity in favor of the party he represents, and
candidate before the people of the whole re-
! public, with decided majority against him.
The qualifications that are necessary in a
candidate for Congress are altogether differ
ent from the qualifications required of a
candidate for the Presidency. Faults that
in the one case would be entirely overlooked
or passed by lightly, are regarded as exceed
ingly grave in the other, and are mercilessly
criticised and commented upon.
Gen. Garfield's connection with the Credit
MobiIier bribery created a temporary es-
arrangement among many of his friends in his
own district, and for time threatened to end
his official career. But being man of strong
purpose and great personal magnetism be
succeeded in averting the menacing blow,
and though by reduced majority he pro-
cured reelection to Congress. He has
clung to it ever since with wonderful ten
acity, and by attending faithfully to the in
terests of his constituents has finally over
come nearly all the prejudice that had exis-
ted against him on that account among his
friends and neighbors. Now that he has ap-
paorn5 IL, q hroodar fiaId ha Godo tbo{ oil
people are not as ready to bslieve his explain
ations as were his personal friends and we'll
wishers. His opponents are continually
thrusting the record forward rd-the evidence
of the Poland committee, composed of his
political friends. They refuse to accept his
explanation that the 1929 he acknowledges
to have received from Oakes Ames was loan,
and somewhat impertinently ask why he
didn't make the amount round $3.50. They
also ask fer q receipt showing
that the s'loan" had ever been
repaid. No such receipt appears to be in
existence, and the fatal memorandum book
still stands accusing the candidate of the
Republican party with having accepted
81 900 in the stock of the Credit Mobilier
without recompense, and 1929 as dividends
on the profits of that corporation, which at
the time was asking SO many favors from
Congress.
So 1t is with the "fee" of five thousand
dollars which Garfield received from De
Golyer & Mcclellan. When his defenders
quote his explanation that the money was
given him as compensation for writing
brief in favor of the adoption of their pave
ment in the city of Washington, his oppo-
nents ask for information as to the where.
abouts of that brief. A diligent search of
the records of the District of Columbia and
of Congress has failed to show that any
such brief was ever fled The only service
that Garfield ever rendered to the contract
ors is furnished by his own testimony, in
which he admits that he spoke to Boss
Shepherd about the matter, urging the
adoption of the DeGolyer patent. The
explanation is regarded as altogether too
gauzy.
Mr.. Garfeld's connection with the to
electoral commission is also pointed to as an
evidence of his political dishonesty. In the
proceedings of that commission, which was
intended to be purely judicial tribunal, Mr..
Garfield was nothing but partisan. He
shut his eyes to every circumstance tina
savored of impartiality, and gave heed only
to testimony and argument that would pal
late or excuse the great crime that had pre-
viously been determined upon. He gave his
sanction, his influence and his eloquence un-
hesitatingy to the perpetration of the great
est outrage upon free government ever COM
mitted since the world began. He lowered
the dignity of the statesman to the level Of
the bigoted partisan, and forever forfeited all
claim that he might have to political integ-
rity.
The friends of Gen. Garfield do not assist
him by asserting that he was innocent of
guilty intent in the transactions for which
he is blamed. The only sequence
10 a belief in their explanations is doubt
as to the mental soundness of their fayorite.
If he did not know he was doing wrong he
was deficient in moral perce ption-had not
learned to distinguish between right and
wrong. It would be far better for the Re
pubIicans to admit the accusations, since
they are not capable of refutation, and to
claim that their candidate has repented and
won't do so any more. A repsntant sinner
is deserving of more respect than one who
tries to lie out of the scrapes he has got
into or to prove himself morally irresponsi-
BILE for their commission.