Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-06-26
AN ERRONEOUS IDEA OF EX-
PEDIENCY.
from the New York Herald. June s.

Our entertaining and popular eve
ming contemporary, the Graphic,
thinks it would be a mistake for Gen.
Garfield to accept the proffer made to
him yesterday by the Herald of any
amount of space he may choose to ac-
cupy in a crushing reply to the
charges which have been revived
against him since his nomination. Ii
General Garfield has no good answer
to make we quite agree with our
picturing contemporary that it would
be bad tactics for him to venture into
print in his own defense. But if the
facts are so strongly in his favor h a
he a make n TeponSe sans reptsque,
if he Can a%nninilate the accusations
by a clear and cogent statement, he
| will be false to his own honor if he
declines our friendly offer. A refuta-
ton in the Herald would not only
reach more readers than III any other
journal, but it would be more widely
copied than from any other source
of publication. But if Gen. Garfield
has no better defense than has yet
been presented the wisest thing he
can do is to ignore u proffered
courtesy. The Graphic says:
The Herald declares that Gen. Gar
field should undertake his W de-
tense, and offers him the use of Its
columns for that purpose. This is
very kind OH the part of our esteem
ed contemporary. But General Gar
field has, unless we are mistaken,
defended himself i'll a printed pam
phlet published some years ago. AS
the charges are admitted to be old,
the antiquity of the answer is no AZ
gument against inadequacy. But,
were this not SO, General Garfield is
a mature man.. He has been almost
continuously i'll public life for the last
twenty years. He is not quite callow
enough to furnish u sensation for the
newspapers aud put his party oil the
defensive at the very opening of the
campaign.
AS to General Garfield's pamphlet
we quite agree with the Graphic that
if it was a valid defense in 1874 i'll
would be u valid defense now. But
we suspect hat he would not desire
its republication at present. 1t was
~"calculated for the meridian" TO
borrow a phrase from the almanac
makers) OF the nineteenth congress
SIGNAL district of Ohio, and might
prove damaging when addressed TO
the people of the whole country.
Mr.. Garfield's immediate constit-
uents OH the eve Of al election may
have accepted statements which
would not bear intelligent scrutiny.
They had no means of comparing his
defense with the testimony taken i'll
w ,shington but if his exculpatory
5 pamphlet were republished now it
. would forthwith be confronted with
the evidence and might prove q
: boomerang. We sincerely hope that
= a new edition of it may be issued.
: If its presentment of the case satisfies
4 the country it will be we'll for Gen.
Garfield. 1t would, at least, preclude
any ingenious afterthough:s, for Mr.,
Garfield knew as perfectly i'll 1871
= what his case was as he could eve
e know. If the defense he then made
is demolished no subsequent defense
0 can save him. But if the pamphlet
Z addressed to his constituents was
S convincing exculpation the wIses'
II thing his friends can do is to issue
an immense edition of it for genera
circulation through the United States
: We venture to predict that hat ex
Il cusaiory pamphlet will not be repub
lished with the consent of Mr.. Gar
t field or his supporters, since it nigh
9 pour ridicule on any ~new-fangled de
o Tense gotten up for the present oc
= %casion. 1t would not do to put tn
defense oil different grounds, IL tn
l. statements of the pamphlet might b
S made ludicrous when addressed to
wider audience. A pamphlet intend
e I'D for local home use might prov
d infinitely damaging if reprinted now
r Among the indiscretions committee
e by Governor Foster i'll his boomerang
defense of General Garfield perhap
: the most foolish was his advertising
v the existence of this forgotten pam
oiphlet. Copies of it must still be j
IS existence, and from the moment tina
d a copy is discovered General CARTEL
D will be estopped from any ditferen
!. lime of defense from that set forth j