Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-06-11
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sTAUNTON:1 Va.
FRIDAY MORNING. JUNE IL, 1880.

The Republican delegates at Chicago
have virtually given up their chances for
electing the next President, but they have
done a good work for the country. They
have crushed the idea of Grantism as well
as the man. Perhaps even in a party
sense they have acted for the best, for had
they gone before the country with the DO.
litical ideas and methods implied in the
nomination of Grant, they would have
suffered such defeat at the hands of the
American people as would have put an
end to the existence Of the party. AS it is
they will, even after their defeat this fall
appear as d political organ ization that still
prefers Republican government and that
even when pressed to the utmost by the
strongest leaders of their organization
backed when spurred towards throne.
The ticket nominated is not likely to
create any enthusiasm. Mr.. Garfield was
formerly an able minister of the Disciples
sect founded by Alexander Campbell,
then became lawyer, was soldier dur
ing portion of the civil war and was then
elected to congress. He is an able man
but not beyond "a politician. Inirm Of
purpose he cannot be counted on for a day
for anything. 1t is fresh in the public
mind that he very recently framed rider
for deficiency bill, providing that deputy
marshals used at elections should be chosen
from each political party, and yet when
party pressure was brought to bear on
him lost the courage of his convictions
and actually voted against the very
amendment he had framed. If he had
consistency and courage commensu-
rate with his ability he would be states
man. His ideas of the public service are
not such as should characterize the occu-
pant of the high Office of President and his
name has been unpleasantly prominent in
two congressional Investigations which
will:doubtless be fully aired to his disad-
vantage in the coming compaign. His re-
cord much resembles honeycomb.
General, or rather Mr.. c. A. Arthur, for
he is no soldier, of New York, is the friend
of Mr.. Conkling who occupied the New
York Custom House as Collector, and
whose attempted removal from that post
by President Hayes caused the feud be-
tween that Senator and the Administration.
His removal was successfully resisted for
some time but finally accomplished by Mr..
Hayes after the report of Mr.. Jay and his
fellow commissioners in regard to the
need of changes and reforms in the man.
agement of the New York custom-house.
Of the platform adopted by the conven-
ton we copy the following opinion from
the New York s'Times,'' excellent Repub-
lican authority for the light in which that
party will look at it:
The gentlemen to whom was entrusted
the task of defining the claims OF the Re-
publican party to confidence, and the pur-
poses which it proposes to accomplish,
have, unfortunately, proved inadequate to
their duty. They have framed a dOcu-
ment which contains some important
truths feebly stated and badly mixed up
with commonplaces which will carry no
conviction and scarcely attract attention,
and which must lessen the force of that
which is really true. They make not the
remotest reference to any possible policy
for the future regarding the currency,
either the legal tenders or the silver. Their
allusion to the tariff is foolish repetition
of the platform of 1876, and shows that
they have no conception of the change
which has taken place in the sentiment of
the party and of the whole country since
then, or of the duty and obligation which
present themselves in this connection at
the present moment. On the other hand
the committee have seen fit to introduce
several declarations which in no wise re-
fleet the general opinion of the party, and
which are calculated to excite dissent and
confusion. OF these, that against the
Chinese is, perhaps the most conspicuous
for its indebtedness and its obYiou spirit
of buncombe. It is intended to catch
votes on the Pacific coast, but bids for
sectional votes are not in order in ma
tional platform, and this one adds to the
fault of narrowness that Of ambiguity
amounting almost to duplicity.