Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-07-01
DEMOCRATIC CALUMNIES.
Complete Refutation of them
by a Correspondent of the
Chicago Tribune.
Correspondence of the Chicago Tribune.

clpltating the republican party into de-
fensive campaign, but l do happen to
know something very definite of General
Gartield's finances, and believe that a de-
tailed statement of them is an unanswer-
able argument to the vindictive charges
that are being made by the democracy that
he is a dishonest man and has been en-
gagged in speculation of one kind and an
other. In the first place, Gen Garfield is
not a speculator He never invested anv
sum, except $500, in anything that looked
like speculation, and that was on the ad-
vice of friend, many years ago, and in
oll-lamps. This sum Is lost.
DANA's ANIMUs.
The New York Sn, glories in the fact
that it is the father of the attacks on Gen.
Garfield; and right here, before the cam
paign goes any further, it may be well for
the people to understand something of the
animus of the Cyclopedia-compile who
runs the diet-mill portion of that vindic-
tive sheet.
Mr.. Charles A. Dana is native of
Trumbull county, Ohio. His father and
numerous collateral relatives reside there
still. Trumbull county is portion of the
Nineteenth congressional district of
Ohio, and, therefore, was rep
resented by Gen. Gattield in congress for
many years. As Dana was from Trumbull
county, he kept sort of eagle eye upon
the patronage in that section, and desired
to parcel it out to those who would do him
the greatest honor. At first he was ex-
ceedingly fattering to Gen. Garfield; could
not administer taffy enough, and expected
TO catch and conquer him in this way
But the General and his friends both be-
Heved that ''The Greeks were to be feared
even when bearing gifts" They consider
ed tattery from so corrupt a source more
dangerous than censure, and
PAID NO ATTENTION
to the matter in any way. Finally, Ger
tain petty appointments in the county did
not suit Mr.. Dana, who, though great in
some respects, has mind Just large enough
to notice and keep abreast of all such mat
ters, and vindict:vely pursue a man who
has independence of soul enough to do
what he considers right, regardless of the
wishes or dictatiOns of any one. These
little matters were settled to the entire
satisfaction of the majority of the people
of the neighborhood; and that Gen. Gar
field considered more important than suit
ing a man who desired to rule from New
York both him and his constituents. This
was to Mr.. Dana crime of the most helm
Gus character, and he took upon himself
the job of infiicting punishment therefor.
He understood that there was little
coterie of ambitious politicians in the dis
trict, who, backed up by few incompe-
tent and disgruntled aspirants of the
smas FaWs at GRFs Mee TeE6 hShPbs abou h Ede e
themselves on the crest of the wave and
drag better men down. With these men
Dana plowed. Not paper or printing
Office in the district would furnish the docrl-
ments which the disgruntled fellows de-
sired to distribute for the purpose Of show
ing Garfeld's alleged perfidy.
DANA PRoFFERED THE SMUT-AIILIS OF THE
SUN
and the ambitious fellows thought it would
be much more effective to have their stuff
printed in the columns OF q great metro
politan journal, outside OF the limits of
the district. Dana would print the matter
very cheaply,-almost for nothing They
were to pay the freight on the printed
matter, and distribute it after it was re.
ceived. So the slander-mills were set at
work. And they did not grind like those
of the gods. They produced their grist
fast. The amount of matter that was pro-
duced and shipped may be understood
when it is known that only a small supple
ment of the paper was sent, and the freight
alone was nearly $50. A man from the
ranks of the ambitious ones was selected as
a Congress candidate. The Democrats Sc
lected man from their ranks. Garfield
was charged with the most nnmitigated
crimes. Every place where there had been
the least dissatisfaction over the appoint
ment of a Postmaster was hunted up, and
the disgruntled ones were nursed into open
Il Il Co., l,o1 GO
tribution of the sam supplement.
The General practically permitted the
whole matter to take its course. He ex-
planned,
IN \ STRAIGHTFORWARD WAY,
how he had borrowed a sum of money oil
Oakes Ames on his return from Europe,
when he was in debt and needed it for a
short time; how Ames was at that time re-
spectacle and respected, and q gentleman
known to be always in the possession OF
money; how Ames had marked this down
as dividend on stock in the Credit Mobilier,
and had insisted that this was the under
standing he had of the matter; how he
(Garield) had understood nothing of the
kind, and had insisted on paying back the
money he had received, in full, to Mr..
Ames.
All these statement coming as they
did from a gentleman of the known integ-
rity and honor of Gen. Garfield, on the one
hand, and from a man who, on his own
statement of the case, was attempting TO
bribe members of congress and other high
officials from the basest of motives on the
other,-were readily sifted, the truth from
the falsehood, and the result was a
TRIUMPHANT yINDICATIoN OF GEN. GAR
and his return to congress by large ma
jority.
The only needed refutation of the
charges that are again Matched up against
the general is the fact that the very men
in his district who howled Thief in
1874 are to-day the loudest to cheer him
for president. They do not to-day believe
a single word of the lies Of 1874. Even
Gen. Jack Easement, who was so thorough
ly defeated as the independent candidate in
1874, Is said to be to-day a supporter of the
regular ticket, and recently, in public
way, extended congratulations. Is it prob
able that these men would thus act if they
still considered Gen Garfield a thief? If
Mr.. Dana's lies of 1880 make no deeper
impression upon the nation than those OF
1874 did upon the nineteenth Ohio district,
we can afford to get ready to cheer great
republican victory next November.
GARY.
What Seat in Parliament Costs.