Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-10-27

was suggested by the speeches which
preceded it. The beautiful smile with
which it opened was suggested by Mr..
Frye's reference to storm at sea.
A friend has said to me that Garfield
is big enough, though a presidential
candidate, to dipe on a single dish. The
great distinction has not changed the
domestic habits of himself and family
a particle. They dine at the same hour
as before, and the meals no more ex-
pensive than last vear-an ordinary
farm dinner, and no special variations
on account of visitors, no matter who
they may be.
Garfield is temperance man, though
not MISUNDERSTANDING man." [ have
seen wine on his table twice in Wash
ington, once at breakfast and once at
a dinner party. I know that liquor is
not habitually used about his house land
that he very rarely touches it himself.
He is not at all sensitive on the subject
of temperance, nor DESTROYS of conceal
ing his views and practice.
General Garfield is fond of his home
and his farm. He walks his visitors
around and shows them the improve
ments he has made, and explains those
he contemplates. He shows his stock,
machinery and crops with as much en-
thusiasm as Horace Greeley used to dis
play on the same subjects. He finds
the farm source of perpetual pleasure
and interest, and as summer resort"
for himself and family infinitely supe-
rior to Saratoga, Long Branch, New
port or anywhere else.
One cannot be about Mentor long
without finding out that Garfield likes
his neighbors and that they like him.
They do not stand in awe of him as
superior being, nor does he look down
upon them as interiors. They stand
and live and act upon perfect social
equality, and the poorest of them come
to his house and approach him Or Mrs.
Garfield with just the same freedom
they approach any other neighbor.
There is absolutely no faint of aristoc-
racy Or "big head " about any of the
family.
On Sundays they generally go to
church-to little "disciple" church in
the village of Mentor, attended by
country people almost entirely, and sell
dom more than fifty to one hundred
persons are present. General Garfield
don't often speak in church meetings
now, but at his home church he is some
times asked to offer pr yer, which he
does without hesitation, as something
to which he is accustomed.
Is HE HONEST?
No man ever knew James A. Garfield
well without believing him to be thor
oughly honest and a true man. I
havn't the shadow of a doubt that his
own tatements about the Credit Mo-
bilier and DeGolyer affairs are entirely
correct, and that he could not be tempt
ed with money at all from the path of
duty. In neither case had he the slight
est suspicion Of questionable relations
to official duty in the transactions. A
case has recently been brought to light
where he was offered as gift, $4,000,
by parties who had been benefited by
Legislation he had lead in securing. He
declined it, saying he would rather go
hungry than take private pay or gifts
for public service. The whole ques-
ton of Garfeld's rect1tude is fully set
at rest in the mind of every unbiased
man, by the fact that if so disposed he
could have been into hundreds of Jobs
and contracts, and, if willing to barter
his official influence and standing, ne
could have been rich instead of poor
He is, beyond all question, an honest
and honorable man.
AS A POLITICIAN
General Garfield is powerful rather
than shrewd. He succeeds by his gen.
uine ability rather than by management.
He likes to be magnanimous toward his
opponents, and glories in being fair.
This disposition has caused him to be
severely criticised by the extreme par
tisans of his own party. When Mr..
Kerr, of Indiana, a Democrat, was
charged with corruption, and an invest
igation proved that it was Islander,
Garfield moved that the House of Rep
resentatives, 6y q rising cote, testify
their confidence in Mr.. Kerr. and it was
done. The Democrats repay such gen
crosby by writing the slanderous 1929"
all over the country.
Once [ was with General Garfield in
Boston. At considerable inconvenience
to himself and friends, he took time to
visit family by the name of Warren.
He afterwards explained to me that Mr..
Warren had been Democratic member
Of Congress, and that his own children
had been very intimate with Mr.. War
ren's children in Washington. Said
be: eff I were 10 go home and
tell our children that T had
been in Boston and had
not gone to see Warren's people they
would be likely to think that il was
because Mr.. Warren is a Democrat, and
[ would not have my children get such
an idea or feeling on any account" I
regarded it as an evidence of true
conception of the real spirit of Repub-
hcanism, and also as an evidence of
thoughtfulness and conscientiousness
seldom found in public men or any
other men,.
The writer does not worship General
Garfield. He is not his ideal great
man in all respects by any means. But
he IS a great man, and good man.
| He will he President if he lives eDd r