Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-06-24
Il Sketch Of tic Public Career Of the Re-
publican Candidate for President, Writ
ten Before Ills Nomination.

James A. Garfield is now serving his
ninth consecutive term as Il member os tue
House of Representatives. At the end of
this term he will succeed Mr.. Thurman in
tho Senate, as night succeeds day. Gifted
with fiuc natural parts, possessed of some
literary ability, given to study, popular in
mnuners, and with pleasing style Of
speech, few mon have begun public life
with such advantages. No public man has
sacrificed his opportunities moro unwor-
thily.
MIR. Garfield entered The army in 1861
as Colonel of volunteers, and left it a
Major General in 1868, with a record
which, though not shining, was quite
crcdtablc. The Republicans Of the West
ern Reserve, who had sent Joshua j.
,Giddings to Congress until he became
recognized as the father Of the House, tool;
up GARFIELD on his return from the war, at
32 years OF ose and have clung to him
since then, despite the most damuing
proofs Of his yepai;ty and jobbcry in
legislation. Fidelity to the party in its
fierce and intocraut spirit seems, like the
mantle Of charity. TO have covered multi
tudc of sins in his case.
Thrown into the midst Of The reckless
legislation for which .be calamity Of civil
war furnished an opportunity, he soon
developed the traits of character which have
moro recently made his namo notorious
throughout the country. llo became the
advocate and apologist of the huge
land grants and subsidies by which millions
of acres of tho public domain and tens Of
millions Of money wclc voted to great cor
porations and rings. That may be called
the beginning of the organized corruption
which flourishcd daring Grants two terms
Garfield voted for almost every iniqutous
:soheme of the lobby that then controlled
the leading committees.
TIE CREDIT MoBIILER.
The construction of the Union Pacific
Railroad furnished the opportunity for
gigantic fraud. Congress voted money and
land enough to- build it without any conside
rable issue Of bonds or stocks by the COM
pany The directors were forbidden by
law from engaging in contracts or holding
other interests of profit. Therefore they
could not become bcncliciarics by tho abuse
of their trust until the obstacle was over
como. They soon found way to do it,
IL Co"p"bJ oiSahihSu uPoh NV 1'iShoh
plan, had procured charter from Penn
sylvania which proved to DC failure in ito
hands This charter was purchased. a
ring Of officers and directors of the Union
Pacific Road obtained absolute control of
it's affairs. They contracted with thcms
solves under another name for the construc
tion at exorbi,ant prices They swindlcd
the United States, the bondhodcrs and the
stockholders for tho benefit Of their own
close corporation.
In 1867, Oakes Amcs, James B. Alley
and others, known as the "Boston party"
got possession of the Union Pacific and the
Credit Nlobilior. At that time Amcs was n
member of Congress, md manufacturer of
roputcd wealth. The great contracts passed
into his hands, and the dividends Of the
Credit Mobilier had already attracted attcn-
tion. Elhu Il. Washburno introduced
resolution in the House which alarmed the
jobbcrs for their immense profits. Colfax,
then Speaker, and ono Of tho creatures of
the ring, silcnccd this movement for q time
by parliamentary tricks
Still tho Credit Mobilicr mononolists
were uneasy, and proposed to buy off oppo-
lsition. In January, 1868, Ames wrote to !