The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-08-26
WHAT BLAINE AND CoNKLING
THINK OF GARFIELD,


The incident / am about to relate was
told me By one OF the men whose names
figured prominently in the investigation
of Credit Mobilier, and who had deal
ings with Cakes Ames at the time Gar
field, Kelley, Scofeld, Colfax, Wilson,
Patterson, Logan, and d'others were in his
employ.
"You remember" said my informant,
"that Garfield went before the Poland
Committee and denied, under oath, that
he had ever owned a share Of Credit Mo.
biier or had received a dollar from
Ames. When he made this denial, i.
was not expected that Ames would give
away any of the boys, The pressure ex
erted upon him was too great, however,
and he pro oduced his memorandum book
with the statement of Gardeld's account
in that gentleman's handwriting. Does
MT it seem strange that the innocent
Garfield should not have promptly ap.
peared before the committee a second
time and explained away the damaging
testimony of Amer? Well, he came
mighty near doing it. Not that he could
have explained anything, but, as l said
before, he came mighty near going again
before the committee. The truth is, the
committee had we'll nigh determined to
make Garfield a scapegoat of the affair,
along with Ames and Brooks, Garfield
thought he was to be called before the
committee and forced to explain all the
circumstances of the matter. He knew
that a severe cross .examinati IN would
bring out the truth. He was in terri
BILE state of mind. In this dilemma he
went to Blaine, who was then Speaker
of the House, and possessed unboun5ed
influence with his party associates. /
have been told by different persons, who
knew the facts, that Garfield, with tears
in his eyes, begged Blaine to save him
from the exposure which hung over his
head. Blaine, out of the goodness of his
heart, consented, and a candidate for the
Presidency was saved to the Republican
party"
Considerable surprise has been ex.
pressed at the conduct of Senator Couk.
ling toward the Republican candidate for
President. Democratic newspapers have
carolled gleefully over the fact that he
did not participate in the late conference
of Republican leaders at the Fifth Ave
nue. Hotel. He avoided the conference
for two reasons: One that he did not
wish to be misunderstood by the public;
the other his intense personal aversion
to Garfield
His private comments upon the Re
publican nomination have been severe.
He has in the most sarcastic manner tx.
pressed his regret at the paucity of hon.
est men in the Republican party which
made the nomination of Garfield neCes.
sary. He has expressed his sympathy
with the Republican press of the country,
which, on the day after the nomination
was made, compelled them to defend a
man accused OF grave crimes. He has
described the torments of good Republi-
cans suffering the nightmare in their
sleep for fear lest, when they awaken,
some new charge of dishonesty or fraud
should appear against their candidate in
the morning newspapers, Yet Mr.. Conk-
ling will do what he can to secure the
election OF CARTEL and Arthur in New
York State in November. IL is not the
man-at least not Garfeld-but the al
legged principle that he is fighting for,
He is mindful lof the $500 postmasters
and minor Federal officers who helped
to elect him to the Senate. These Office,
holders would lose their places If the
Republican candidates should be defeat
ed. 1t is Mr.. ConKling's duty to DO all
for them he can do.-BroOklya Eagle.