Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-06-19
Garaeld IS q savior Of HIs CONN.
Mahlstick's N. Y. Correspondent Courier
Journal

Mahlstick's N. Y. Correspondent Courier
Journal
1t will now appear that Grant did
fairly, considering his incompetency,
but that Garfield wrote a dispatch
that sent Lee out of Richmond full
gallop. He put an end to the war. 1t
would be raging still if it were not for
Garfield. He went to Washington
and bullied Lincoln into issuing the
emancipation proclamation. In fact,
G. did it all, and now, oh republican
voters, don't stop to eat, drink or
sleep until you have put G, into the
white house and left him there
Saving the country"
Two particular prominent men in
the convention became SO by extreme
ly uncivil attacks upon the purity Of
the party Mr.. Flanagan, of Texas, an
nOunced that the delegates were not
patriots, but Office seekers. What
are we here for except TO get Officer
His brutal style of telling the truth,
if followed, would create much con-
fusion, as did Voltaire's simple-mind-
ed Huron let loose upon the civiliza-
ton of Paris in the time of Louis XIV.
The other delegate, Mr.. Charles Cod.
man, in whom l recognize an old
schOol-mate, hoped that ''some one
would be nominated that did not ped
die out Offices as a reward for political
service" Charles was not compli-
mentary to Rutherford. The plat
form, conceived mainly by that ass
Pierrepont, could be comprehensively
and ittingly described as "hapdoodle'
which, according to the late Captain
Marryatt, is the stuff they feed fools
with.
When it is considered that those
great successes Of a party, where the
candidate went In under the influence
of a public frenzy, we're always due to
the personal popularity of the candi-
date whom events had made the hero
Of the hour, it is not surprising that a
waning party should look about for
one OF those popular idols, and re-
verse the old maxim Of measures,
not men," General Harrison. Gene
raj Taylor and General Grant were
admirable instances of this popular
craze over the idol Of the hour. A
very large number of practical
politicians believed that Grant alone
could save the party in the coming
fight. They knew better than the
man outside of politics that the
vitality of the party was gone, and
that the only hopeful appeal to the
country must be in the nature of a
sentiment rather han a principle.
all that was left of cohesiveness was
the plumber of the public offices. The
old cry of traitor had become as
offensive to the thinking part Of the
population as the cry of plot had
become odious from the month Of
Titus Oates. The leading republican
politicians were not deceived. The
old issues were dead, and it was past
their power to create new ones. In
this view perhaps it showed the high
est wisdom in Conkling, Logan and
Cameron to pin their faith on all that
was left-the fading memory of tri-
umphs on the BATTLEFIELD won by the
soldier whom they affected to look
upon as another Napoleon. The SOL
der candidates carried states where
the politics had been the oppo-
site Of those maintained by these can
didates. General Harrison carried
the tough, stubborn old democratic
state of Pennsylvania, where some of
the citizens are supposed TO vote to
this day for Andrew jackson. Tay-
lor's triumph was quite as extraordi-
nary, Grants elections are too we'll
remembered. ! know Of no civilian
who ever won through personal popu-
larity. The coming contest will have
none Of that glamour which bore the
soldier candidates to victory. 1t is
not to be imagined that the colored
voter Of the south has ever heard of
Mr.. Garfield. There Is no possible
chance Of this candidate carrying a
single southern state, nor is it to be
supposed that his personal popularity
will suffice to create a revolution in
Indiana. 1t follows, then, that the
whole fight will be confined to one
battlefeld--New York. The candi-
date that can carry this state gets a
pass to the White House. To bring
II to an elaborate focus, the vote Of
the city Of New York will decide the
presidential election,