The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-09-09
srALwART RELIGIOUS OPINION,
Garfield Selling His Legislative Influence for a
$4,000 Bribe-W What a Leading Church
Paper Said When the Crime
Was Fresh,


There is now no absorbing question of
statecraft before the people. The great
question of the last generation is settled.
II we may accept the problem how and
whep we shall replace our deprecated
currency by genuine money, there is
no hing bu' m administration 10 b, IT.
tended to. What the next Congress has
TO 40 Is to keep things a.going as quietly,
trugally and honestly as possible. It
might not have been the banner which
would have futtered most gayly in the
breeze, but if the Republican party had,
at its last Presidential convention. con.
fined itself to the promise to administer
Government well, and then bent it's
energies mainly to this task, we believe
it would have stood better with the peo.
pie of to-day.
The main point then to be considered
by those who select Congressional candi.
dates is this: Who will administer the
Government best-that is, most honestly
and most intelligently? And of these
two qualifications honesty is even more
essential than intelligence. Let electors
get an intelligent representative, if thew
can ind him; but they must find an
honest man. If their representative in
the last Congress is not tainted nv the
suspicion of jobbery, if he has kent his
hands clean, if he has not been GETTING
rich in Washington-and no honest
man can get rich as a Congressman, any
more than he could as a soldier in the
rebellion-let his constituents be verv
SLOW to replace him by new man.
eTERLGNG INTEGRITY REQUIRED.
But the most sterling moral integrity
should be required. Let electors look
very sharp at charges which affect the
purity of their servants. An honest man
will not shrink from the most thorough
scrutiny of his official acts.
Let us take an example. The Nine.
teenth Congressional District of Ohio
has been represented for twelve years by
James A. Garfield. He ls one of the
ablest and most promising members of
Congress. He is a man of uncommon
culture, a graduate from an Eastern col
lege, was for some time principal of an
excellent school in Ohio, and q preacher
we believe, in the denomination which
supported it, and afterward lawyer,
He has risen rapidly in Congress, until
he occupies the Chairmanship of the
committee which is second in i'm
portanCe In the House, and if elected
will doubtless next winter be the recog.
rized leader Of the lower branch of Con.
gress, taking the place vacated by Mr.
Dawes. His constituents have been
very proud of him, and have had reason
for their pride.
But were we citizens ofthe Nineteenth
District of Ohio we should seek of Mr.
Garfield very clear explanation of his
conduct before Consenting to vote for
his reelection. We refer only to facts in
his late career, which we Judge of
simply from the unContradicted record.
DEEPLY INVOLVED IN CREDIT MoBILIER.
We cannot forget that he was more
deeply involved in the sad Credit Mo.
bilier difficulty than any other member
of the House Of epresentatives-ex
cepting, of course, Ames and Brooks
After such an experience be ought to
have been extremely cautious. Bu. the
testimony taken in the investigation of
the District of Columbia frauds show
that Mr., Garfield received $1,000 for his
aid in getting through paving contract
by the District Government. A
Mr.. Parsons, notorious jobber, made an
for the Paving Company and
then got Mr.. Garfield to make further
argument and to use his personal in.
huenCe IN it's favor. Of course, Mr.. Gar.
fields argument was successful. How
could it be Other wise? He was Chair.
man Of the Committee of Appropria.
tlons, Every cent of money voted to
the District had to come through him,
Shepherd could not af,rd to refuse him
any thing that he asked and Mr.. Garfield
knew it when he asked and received for
bis services fee which would have been
grossly extravagant but for official posi-
lion.
WILLING TO SELL OUT FOR S. 900.
That is. 80 far as the case is known to
he public, for $4,000 he was willing to
ell to the Mcclellan contractor his in.
iuenCe as legislator, For $4,000 he
vas Wiling to use his position as