The Orangeburg democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1879-1881, 1880-07-02
The Republican Dilemma.

1
Since the Credit Mobilier and De
Golyer scandals have been illuminat-
ed so vividly by tic Democratic and
independent press it has been sug-
gestcd that Mr.. Garfield should eth
er Withdraw from the ticket or else
that the National Committee should
declare his nomination. null and pro-
ceea III whatever manner it could to
meet the emergency thus thrown
upon the party by the grave charges
against the nominee. We do not
know what the powers Of the Nation
al Committee in such case wonld be,
but at first sight it appears to as that
IT would have no right to act upon
any such suggestion rs that made.
and ifit should act would have no
power to make that action effective.
ANY change in the candidate now,
not based on the voluntary retirement
of Mr.. Garfield, would undoubtedly
result in fatal split in the party,
and bring about worse defeat than
that Which it would be the object of a
change to avoid. But how The Re-
publican party will deal with such a
serious problem, il the course of
events shall render its consideration
necessity, is q question for it alone.
1t has nominated its candidate, and if
1T now finds that its candidate does
not suit it, it must do a. everybody
else who makes n bad bargain does
repudiate the bargain if it can do so
with safety, or else "grin and bear
it" and fight for aaccess which if
won will secure to it the material if
not the moral fruits Of victory.
OF course it will strike many q
good Republican as the sheerest non
sense for his party to think ofsuch o
thing as choosing another candidate
in place of Mr.. Garfield at t is time
of the day, and we agree with all who
hold that opinion, but it cannot be
denied that there is strong though
quiet feeling within the party that a
grave mistake was made at Chicago
and that an opportunity 10 remedy
that mistake would be one Of The
choicest blessings that could befall
the party. So able and well-inform-
ed journal as the Rochester Herald
says that it begins to look very much
as though the ticket would not be
able to hold together through the
campaign, and it declares that in
view of the damaging exposure of
Gen. Garield's record ''many thought
tul Republicans are already inquring
whether their partyt can carry the
load through this campaign" The
Herald expresses theaspinion that in
the plain facts Of General Garfield's
record there is weight enough to sink
the ticket beyond redemption in a
few weeks unless satisfactory eX-
planation is given, and this view it
believes is n reflection Of the secret
thoughts of many Of the most expert
enced and discerning Republican
leaders of the country.
The Herald quotes as evidence of
the damaging nature of Mr.. Gariield's
record the decision of the court in one
of the suits growing out of the De
GolycI contract, which distinctly de-
clares that "the said plaintiff and
said Garfield and said board of public
works then we'll knew that it was not
the arguments of said Garfield as a
lawyer, but his influence as a mem Der
of Congress having power over the
appropriations to be made, that the
plaintiff had sought and obtained and
paid for, and therefore the contract
was illegal, against public policy and
void"
Nevertheless VIC do not believe that
General Garfield will be even asked
to Withdraw much less forcibiy dis
placed from the head of the Republi-
can ticket. Even admitting the worst
construction that can possibly be put
upon his connection with the Credit
Mobiher and De Golyer jobs, and al
lowing all the charges against him to
stand as though proven to everyone,
still the Republican party must stand
by its candidate, simply because it
dare not aggravate the blunder made
at Chicago, if blunder it was, by an
attempt to commit the folly Of swap
ping horses in the middle of such 4
dangerous political stream as that in
which it is now struggling.-Bvery
Evening.