American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-07-03
James Abraham Garfleld.-.Iis Life.

lowing sketch of the life of James
Garfield, the Republican candidate for
the Presidency
The full name of the Republican nominee il
james Abraham Garfield. He was born No
! vember 10, 1881, about fifteen miles fromCleve-
| land His father, Abraham GARFIELD. had emf
grated from New York. There were three
| other children. The father died when james
WAS only three years old, leaving the family de-
pendent upon small farm and the cxcrtions
| of the mother. Mrs. Garfield, the mother, is
| still living at an advanced age. She is II wornan
of strong will, stern principles and more than
no one besides James has made the slightest
| mark In the world. The older brother is "a
| farmer in Michigan and the two sisters
James toiled hard on the farm and also
But he had an ambition to ret an n, cdu@ation
The Ohio Canal ran not far from where he
pay in cash and earned better wages than he
could make mt farming or carpentry, he hired
out as Il driver on the towpath and soon got up
to the dignity of holding the helm of II boat.
Finally he decided to go to school called
Gcauga Academy, in an adjoining county. BY
working al the carpenters bench mornings
| and evenings and vacation times, and teach
| ing country schools during the winter, he man
age. to attend the academy during the spring
and fall terms and to save little money to-
ward going to college,
nected himself with the Disciples, n sect hav-
ing a numerous membership in Eastern and
lucky, where its founder, Alexander Camp
bell, Travelled and preached. The principal
IL
fusal TO formulate beliefs into n creed, the in
| dependence of each congregation, the hos
pitality and fraternal feeling of the members
and the lack of a regular ministry. He
worked his way through Williams College with
credit. When he returned to Ohio he joined
the struggling little college of the young
Campbellite sect at Hiram, Portage County,
near his boyhood's home. He became its pro-
fessor of Latin and Greek, and in two years
was appointed President of the college. He
frequently spoke on Sundays in the churches
| est in the college. Among the Disciples any
one can preach who has a mind to do so, no or
| During his professorship Garfield married
Miss Lucretia Randolph, daughter of farm
err in the neighborhood, whose acquaintance
he had made while at the academy, where she
was also pupil. The marriage was a love af-
fair on both sides, and has been thoroughly
happy one In 1853 the college President was
elected to the State senate: Early in the sum-
mer of 1861 he was elected Colonel of an in
fantry regiment in Northern Ohio. He took
the field in Eastern Kentucky, from whence
he was transferred to Louisville, and from
that place to the army of General Bucll.
He participated in the second days
n N tbs at sgn of nnd ii be took
erations along the Memphis and Charles
ton Raii h,o In January, 1863, he was APP
beriand and bore prominent share in ali the
campaigns in Middle Tennessee in the spring
GUS military service was at the battle of Chick
amauga. For his conduct in that battle he
was promoted to II MajOr-Generalship Gen.
eral Garfield was nominated to Congress while
he was in the field in ls62; On entering Con-
placed upon the Committee on Military Affairs.
He took an active part in the debates of the
House and won n recognition which few new
members succeed in gaining. He was not
popular among his felow-members during his
pedan sr BECAUSE he eti SHOWED his
scholarship in his speeches His committee
Ways and Means He was renominated in
1854 without opposition, but in 1885 there was
an effort made to defcat him, but he contin-
ued to be reelected.
In the Forticth Congress General Garfield
was Chairman of the Committee on Military
Affairs. In the Forty-tirst he was given the
Craftsmanship of Banking and Currency aud
next the Craftsmanship of the Appropriations
Committee, which he held until the Democrats
came into power in the House in 1875. When
james G. Blaine went to the Senate in 1877, the
mantle of Republican leadership in the House
was by common consent placed upon Garfield
He has worn 1t with singular success, showing
a better temper and not less skill than his
predecessor. In January last General Garfield
was elected to the Senate to the seat which will
be vacated by Allen G. Thurman on the 4th of
General Garfield is the .possesser of two
streets, in Washington, and the other in
summer house on Little Mountain, n bold elc-
o oat thirt N niles Of rc wifn
Ell along the shore of Lake Eric, with II farm
lying on both side; Of the Lake Shore and
twenty-five miles away and the pretty town of
Panesvile, named after Mr.. Henry ID. Payne,
is but five miles distant.
General Garfield has five children living.
The two older boys, Harry and .lames, are now
named Irwin aud Abram. the Generals
In person General Garfield is six feet high,
broad-shouldered and strongly built. He has
forehead, light-brown hair and beard, large,
light-blue eyes, n prominent nose and full
cheeks. He dresses plainly, is fond OF broad
brimmed SLOUGH hats and stout boots.
He was, like Blaine and Colfax, badly
smirched by the Credit MoDilicr investigation.
founded in Paris November is, lN5.. under tho
lead of the brothers Emile and / saac Pereirc,
transaction OF a general Blinking business, to
facilitate the construction of public works and
of this company the title of Credit Mobilier
of America was adopted by joint-stock
tai of s2,500,OO0. In january, 1867, the charter
having been purchased by a company
Union Pacific Railroad, the stock was increased
to $3,I5) 900, and afterwards rose to n great
value, paying enormous dividends. In 1872, in
the course of legal proceedings in Pennsyl-
vania respecting the ownership Of stock, it
appeared that several members of Congress,
including james A. Garfield as well us Vice
President Colfax, were llnavowed Stockholders;
This caused a great political scandal as Il had
member of Congress to be pecuniariiy inter
ested in corporation the profits OF which zen
vote ON bills concerning it. The fact that
Presidential canvass was in progress in which
several of the persons Implicated took an &C
tive part added interest and excitement to the
subject. The result was Congressional inves-
the House and Senate Committees made re-
ports. When the House Committee said in
their report that none of the Cong ressmen i'm
plcated supposed THAT he was guilty of any
Improperly or even indelicacy in becoming
purchaser of the stock. the public read the
exculpation with incrcdulity and umazemcnt.
The public was astouished and confounhe'i
when the Committee went on to say that ''had
it appeared that these gentlemen were aware
of the enormous dividends upon their stock,
and how they were earned we could not acquit
Them" The evidence had shown that hNc or
six members of Congress, including GARFIELD,
had owned Credit Mobiler stock, that they
had purchased il of Oakes Ames, had received
enormous dividends on it, and had resorted 10
to conceal their transactions AS
Ames was judged guilty of bribery and Thought
to deserve expulsion for selling the stock in
this manner to these Congressman. the public
could not understand how one of the parties to
these corrupt transactions could De guilty, llkc
Ames and the olher parties, like GARFIELD,
When Cakes Ames had been censured by
the House February q. 1873, Mr. Fernando
Wood offered the following resolution
Rcsolred, That the House absolutely con,
dennis the conduct of Samuel Hooper and
Henry l.. Dawes of Massachusetts; William
field, of Pennsylvania; james A. Garfield ana
John A. Bingham, of Ohio, members of the
House of Representatives, inasmuch ms they
became interested in the Credit Mohiier OF
contracting company for the con,
structiOn of the Union Pacific Railroad ana
continued to he SO Interested nj n Time Wh1l
said corporation was dependent on the cPisla-
ton of Congress for its maintenance ana sup
port.
Mr. Samuel J. Randall made the point of
order that IL resolution OF censnre shoulu ne
confined to one Individual.
The Speaker sustained the point of order
and stated the reasons for the ruling
subsequently, the House, manly ny u phu,y
vote refused to take any action against Mr.
Garfield. The World, on February y, ls.h
this action cditorially, said;
:. The tenderness of the House toward ITS OF
embeIs is one of the most alarming