Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1880-08-03
Gen. JAMES A. GARFIELD,
or ONO.
or ONO.

case he should be elected president, will
not de damaged in the eyes OF republicans
by the personal abuse of the opposing
party. We are going to have square
fight between the two parties this year,
each polling its full vote, and the one
which has the most votes at the start will
win. The campaign will not change the
party attachments of any considerable
number of voters. 1t will only CONSOLE
date the two parties, and rally all their
stragglers.
There are questions concerning this
nomination other than the popularity,
availability, and good character Of the
candidate, - questions which will be
asked By men who care nothing for pol
tics save as a means of securing good
government. and value parties only as
instruments to that end. What sort Of
an administration, they ask, will Gen.
Garfield make: Will the good tend
cncics OF the Hayes administration be
continued and strengthened by him, or
will the country be thrown back into
the rut of selfish, trading, machine poll
tics into which it sunk during the eight
years of Grant, 4 beginning has been
made in Washington, during the last
three years, towards the elevation of ma
tional politics to the plane of patriotic
craftsmanship, -halting and cautious al
times, it is true, but still an honest be-
ginning. VIII the good work 20 on, or
will it stop:
The answers TO these questions must
be sought in the career, surroundings,
and bent of thought and purpose of the
Republican candidate. During his seven
teen years service in the House, Gen.
Garfield has taken so prominent part
in debate and legislation that his opin-
ions, and even the intellectual processes
by which he arrives at conclusions con-
corning public questions, are known to
all his associates. No other man Ia
Congress has a record of such fullness
and clearness. The political history OF
two decades might be written from his
speeches, if no other material existed,
Not only on the general questions oil
politics has he made this broad, plain
record, but his ideas on all the details
of government: policy and expenditure
have been expressed again and again.
with such definitenesS and consistency
that there is scarcely question likely
to arise during his term in the White
House, if he should be elected, on which
his views might not be found By search
ing the pages of the Congressional Rec
ord. The country is not called upon to
make an experiment with this man. The
general course of his administration can
be confidently predicted in advance. A
strong believer in the value Of the Re-
publican party as the best political or
ganization the country has, or is likely
to get in our day, General Garfield is
not a bigoted partisan. The temper
of his mind is essentially Judicial. He
never jumps to conclusion. He gath
ers his facts with conscientious care be-
fore making up his mind. Instinctively
he askes himself, as there not another
side to this question than the one | now
see.'' If he finds another side, his in
tellect argues both to his judgement be-
fore ne decides. This inherent desire
to be fair has oftened weakened his posi-
ton as a party leader in the House, but
! it is an excellent qualification for high
executive station.
General Garfield has not grown up in
the spoils school of politics. Represent.
ing district overwhelmingly Republic
can, he has never been tempted to make
use of official patronage for his own
advantage. In recommending appoint
ments to Office in his district, he has
always consulted the public sentiment of
the locality where the place was to be
filled. Where there was doubt as to
the candidate favored by the people, an
informal election has frequently beea
held, at his request, and he has then rec
commended the man having the majority
of the votes cast. He was one Of the
first, if not the first, Congressman to in
stitute competitive examinations for ap-
plicants for appointment to the Military
and Naval Academies. In more than
lone instance he has appointed young
Imam OF obscure parentage, wholly un,
known to him, because he had passed