The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-07-31

THE REPUBLICANS AND THEIR
CANDIDATES.

! 'cnefdl Ndfllelu career lllilSIldteS Ill
4 remarkable degree the possibilities of
| American life to one born with Il strong
brain in strong body, ard gifted with
industry, courage, perseverance. and a
high ambition. His father, a poor farm
er, possessed of few sterile acres and a
large family, died when he was six years
old. He had no well-to-do relatives to
help him along. In fact, he had no help
save the counsels of Il wise, resolute re-
ligious mother, and no capital save what
lay in his own head and hands. With
the labor of his hands, put forth in the
lower forms of honest toll, with the axe,
the hoe, the carpenters plane, and on
the tow path of a canal, he gained the
means to obtain such education as a
rural academy afforded. Then, making
a capital of his new store of knowledge,
he taught country schools, and got the
means to take a higher course of study.
Equipped with the training of a Massa-
chusetts college, he opened for himself a
path in life which began with the Latin
and Greek protessorship of an obscure
school in Ohio. and broadened out until
it led to majorgeneralship in the Union
army, to a seat i'll Congress held for nine
consecutive terms, to an election to the
Senate by the unanimous choice of his
party in the Ohio legislature, and now TO
the Republican nomination for the Pres
idency. All these honors came to him
without solicitation, and without effort
on his part to grasp them. So far as
fate shaped his career in life, it was the
career of a day laborer. High purposes,
an indomitable will, great capacity for
work, fixed principles, and good habits
enabled him to compel fate, and change
| that career to one of conspicuous honor
and usefulness. Every farmer boy can
not become a ma general, a Senator,
and a Presidential nominee, but the les
son of Garfield's life is that the insttu-
tons Of this country place no obstacles
in the way of the poorest lad who tolls
| in the fields or the workshop. 1t is a
lesson full of encouragement and cheer.
| 1t shows that the country is not wholly
given over to the rule of political rings,
| bosses, and conspirators, and that one
party at least is still strong enough and
| wise enough to "pluck from the nettle
| danger the flower safety" and to select
for its leader man whose worthiness
and fitness are his only strength. 1t
| shows, too, that in spite of all the
changes in our social fabric, brought
about by the growth of great corpora
tons and the accumulation of vast wealth
in a few hands, talent and manliness, I'M
aided by money, can still win their way
to the most exalted positions. The Pres
idency is not yet sold to the highest bid
der, nor disposed of by junto af selfish
political schemers.
The most careful research and calcutta
ton could scarcely have discovered
candidate possessing more elements of
what the politicians call availability than
the man whom the convention chose
moment. General Garfield is accepta-
bic to both wings of the party, and to
the supporters of all the Chicago candi
dates. An outspoken anti-third term
man, he had nevertheless retained the
personal respect and liking of the third
term leaders. The friends of Grant will
work for his election as energetically as
will those of Blaine and Sherman. His |
moderation in debate and hearty kindli-
ness of manner disarm prejudice and win
friends amongst those who differ with
been nominated, New York might have
been throw away by the lukewarmness
of Mr. Conkling and his adherents. as it
was in 1876. Now the assistance of this
powerful element in the pivotal State of
the contest is doubly assured; first, by
the friendliness and confidence it feels |
towards Garfield; and, second, by the
nomination Of Chester A. Arthur, Mr. |
COnkling's nearest political friend. for
Nice-President. General Garfield has
gallant record as soldier. and is popular
among the soldier class, which likes to
see its services to the country recognized
by the selection of its representative
men for high positions. The farmers
like him because he is one of them. He
is product of the soil, and his only
property beside his house in Washington
is his Ohio farm; where, in the vacations
Of Congress, he delights in the whole
some out door labors of the farmer. The |
workingmen of the towns and cities,
who are growing more restless year by
year at the limitations of their condition,
and who have no strong political ties,
admire Il man who once worked for
wages, like themselves, and who has had
no iavors from fortune that he has not
won by his own toll of hand or BRAIN
Cultivated people Of all sorts have a
hearty sympathy for him because of his
broad culture, and see in him the student
and the friend of letters as well as the
successful politician. Business men have
full confidence i'll him. His record on
all questions affecting the debt and the
currency is as clear as sunlight Never
has he swerved a hairs breadth from the
straight line of principle. Honest money
based on coin and an honest payment of
the nations obligations has been his
motto through all the fluctuations of
public opinion and all the vagaries of
party action. No other man in Congress-
has made so thorough a study of the his
tory and science of political economy
and national finance, or is better ground
ed in his convictions upon sound princi-
pies. Independent Republicans remem-
Der that he has never been an ultra-par-
tisan, and that he has more than once
shown the courage to stand almost alone
in opposition to his party in Congress.
Straightout, stalwart Republicans know
that his Judgment as to the best course
for the party to pursue has always been
safe and conservative, and has generally
been justified by events. His leadership
in the house has not been dashinr and
brilliant, but when he has marked out a
position for the Republicans to take they
have always been able to hold it. and
have come out victors in the contest be-
fore the people. Better, perhaps. than
any man in public life, he represents the