New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-10-17
AFTER THE WESTERY VICTORIES.
THE END OF A MUD-THRowING CANvAss-A SIGNAL
rnrrvpu or HONESTY AND REsPECTABILIIY -
ESPECIAL QUALIFICATION FELT IY THE WESTERN

TRIUMPH or HONESTY AND REsPECTABiLllH -
ESPECIAL. QUALIFICATION FELT IH THE WESTERN
RESERVE
lFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRInUsE'I
CLEVELAND Oct. 15.-If nothing else had been
accomplished by the October elections, all men VINO
value decency and principle in politics would nave
cause 10 rejoice that they have shown the utter
unproftableness of campaign OF mahce anu
SANDER The Democratic party set out 10 WIN
these elections by conscienceless ana mahghan. az
tacks upon the character of General Garfield. Inc
party leaders and party newspapers raised dih Oh
vituperation about HIM which was never equalled
in American politics They dropped all fair issues,
forgot all the principles which they asserted IN
their platform weIe going to govern their
action in the canvass and set upon the RepuD-
lean candidate like pack of wolves. As the cam
paign advanced their venomous ferocity increased
No libel was too vile too incredible for Them 10
repeat. The whole party seemed selz9d WIN de-
lrium Men who had sat beside Genera Uarneiu
for years in Congress, who had eaten at his taoie
and who had many times in the past borne Voiun-
tarv testimony to the purity "nc noblnty OF nis
character and TO his commanding ability as states
man. Joined in the hue and cry. CLOSE personai
friendships of twenty years standing were prokeh.
Men who used to feel hOnored by his esteem anu
nroud of his companionshiD we're seen in the midst
pothouse politicians Even the shelter OF his own
bo,,e DID pot protect him. In the nearest village
weekly paper D Jured a torrent OF abuse upon him.
Comics of dirty sheets from all over the country
containing attacks peculiar rancOr came 10 MIN
daily by mail ana some of the scOundrels who sent
them had the immeasuraOle meanness to direct then
TO his wife, hoping TO wound her with their lies.
While the Republicans sought to elevate the can
vass upon a high plain OF principle and PATRIOTISM,
and carefully avoided attacks upon tine personal
character of General Hancock, the Democrats got
down in the dirt and rolled in it with evident pleas
ure Whatever they Logan to talk about on the stump
they always got around to the mlre OF detraction
and slander before they finished. This was eyl-
IDENTIFY their main reliance. \ young lawyer, WHO
had particnlarly bad case to defend, said TO vet
eran OF the bar, What shall | do Ny client IL
gnilty. He's got no case The evidence is dead
AGAINST HIM. Then abuse the plaintiffs attor-
nevD replied the other. So the D5mOcratic orators
finding their party IN a bad way, with a wrecked
record aud no principles to defend, began to abuse
the candidate Of the other party.
! Well they have gwen a fair tri- 10 this method
of carrying on a great National contest. what DO
! they think of it now ? Leaving all consldera-
| ton of morals and decency aside, what do they
| think oft as means of carrying close election
They have found out what the masses of the Ameri-
can people think Will thev have sense enough,
after the tremendous rebuke they have received TO
| Law down their mud-shoves and go through what
| remains of the campaign to the inevitable defeat
| that awaits them in November with some show OF
fairness
| Alexander IT, Stephens told the Democrats las Z
| june that they would elect Garfield If they threw
mud at him. They did not believe aim. Like all
fools they had TO 90 to the dear school kept by
Madam Experience
| The rebuke gwen by Ohio and Indiana to
the mud throwers is especially gratifying
TO the people here in the Western Re
serve who knoY General Garfield so
well. Here he has grown up from boyhood, and here
he has made hls great public career. No man has
! lived more in tle broad daylight OF pubic knowl-
edce There is scarcely Il farmer or a mechanic IN
ali this region VINO has not seen him and grasped
his hand and VINO does not feel some degree of per-
soual acqnaintancc with him. And then his intl-
mate friends who have shared his hospitality oT
given him theirs and who have often come ln1o
close contact with his rich social and intellectual
nature are "a great host Of people by themselves
His iaraeness and strength OF mind, his sounGnes'
and sweetness of heart, his quick sympathy hl'
earnest patriotism and hls faithful friendship ar'
ne-fectlv familiar to these Northern ONO people
Naturally they rejoice at the overthrow of tine pol
ticiaus scheme for defeating him by Dlackenlng III
character The magnitude and extent of Tuesday
victory are particularly gratifying to them If Ohi
alone had gone Republican they would nave feare'
that Indiana where he Is personally very NTH
known believed the slanderOus reports. But lndl
! ana re1ulles the mud-throwers as signally a. doe
! Ono. So the triumph Oh honesty anu pllhciplS
, | noitIcs IS eounplete l.. V. s.