Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-06-25
JAMES A. GARFIELD.
From the Christian Union.

ARAAA viz sAA AatAuAA IulNus
The nomination Of Gen. Garfield was
made by the men who did not attend the
convention which apparently nominated
MIN. lie was nominated by the people,
and not by the politicians. His nomina-
tion was a new attestation Of the political
value OF moral qualities. The Republican
party has passed by the eminent soldier.
the eminent hnancier and the eminent
party politician TO take up a man who is
chiefly eminent for the christian purity
and integrity Of his life and character.
They are without reproach and above sus-
picion, though, Of course, not above SLAM
der; for the morning after the nomination
the opposition began its campaign Of cal.
umny. III Moses we're nominated for the
Presidency there are papers which would
bring up the charge that be murdered an
Egyptian and ran Of with the Egyptian
women's jeWelry.
What enthusiasm the nomination will
arouse remains to be seen, but it will at
least eXlte no opposition within the Repub-
lican party, and will give measurable salts
faction to all its sections. The believers in
a continuous tenure Of Office will see in
Gen. Garfield a representative of their oure
for the strife of factions. For Gen. Gar.
field not only comes from a district that
believes in third and fourth terms, but his
elninence in American politics is due to
that fact. The Western reserve has in a
period OF half century been represented
6y but Tour men; Gen, Garfield has been
their representative for period Of eigh-
teen years, from 1852 to the present time.
For the last two sessions Of the House of
Representatives he has been the leader of
the Republican party in the House. To
call such man a dark horse is absurd.
The leader of the house Is the natural lead.
er OF his party when it comes into power,
and in England is almost always made
Prime Minister as a matter of course.
The advocates Of Civil Service reform
must be hard to suit il they are not pleased
with the nomination man who has never
sought an office. When first elected to the
House Of Representatives he was with the
troops in the field and did not know that
nomination was contemplated until he was
informed that it was given. When last
fall his name was before the Ohio Legisla-
ture as a candidate for the United States
Senate, in competition with several men Of
no little eminence in national politics, his
friends were urgent that he should 90 to
Columbus and take rooms there to be near
the Legislature at the critical moment.
He refused; he never had sought an office
and would not begin then; he remained at
his farm; and won more votes by his wise
Independence than he could have won by
wire pulling, for he was elected without
opposition within his party. At the con-
ventlon which has just nominated him he
steadfastly declined to be a candidate, and
was finally declared the choice Of the con-
Vention against his protests and because
OF his hearty devotion to his party and
the promotion Of its principles. At the
same time he is a practical politician; he
does moi belong TO the "scratchers;" he
has always acted with his party; he has
always been simply RepublicRn-not an
Independent Republican, nor Young Re
publican, nor a stalWart Republican, nor a
bloody shirt Republican. He possesses the
political purity and integrity which Pres
ident Hayes possesses, and a skill in mana
ging men which President Hayes lacks.
Both qualities were stEikingly manifested
in the convention which he did so much to
harmonic and which finally nominated
him.
The believers in paper money, if there
are any such left in the Republican party,
are the only ones likely to be dissatisfied
Gen. Garfield has been always and consist
emily hard money man. In the time
when Ohio was most doubtful on this point
he never wavered. His record Is in this
respect like that Of President Hayes.
Gen. Garfield is an earnest christian
man; adenOminatiOnvery numerous in the
West and Southwest; has never been
ashamed of his faith; has often preached
though he has never been professedly a
preacher and has always carried his religi-
Gus principles into his political life. He
has the respect of those who differ most
widely from his political views; and the
spontaneous meeting held in the House Of
Representatives by its members to send
him their congratulations on his nomina-
tion was equally credible to him and to the
moral sense Of the house.
The nomination of such a man is re-
buke to the eroakers, and testimony to
the political power OF moral sentiment in
the American community. For twelve
years the dominent political party has
taken up and presented for the suffrages
Of the American people men whose first
element Of strength lay in their acknowl-
edged moral worth. Abraham Lincoln,
U. S. Grant, Ruthford B. Hayes and
James A. Garfield, whatever may be
thought Of their political principles and
their political abilities, represent the high
est moral elements and convictions Of the
comunity as applied to public questions.
IN character they compare taYorably with
the foremost statesman Of foreign countries
aud with the foremost statesmen Of our
own earlier National life.