Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-10-29

The Democratic campaign of Islander and
detraction draws to its legitimate end 1t be-
gan with On onslaught on the fair fame of
Gen. Garfield, accusing him of participation
in the salary grab, of sharing in the Cred
it Mobilier steal" and of corrupt connection
with the DR.. Golyer Washington pavement
contract. Accusations against Gen Garfield
on these several points in the shape of en-
phatc and unqualified asseverations of their
truth, were openly made at the very outset of
our local campaign, on our Brattleboro plat
form, by Asa NJ Dickey, whilom espirant for
Democratic congressional honors These
charges The PHOENIX promptly denounced
for the bald and outright lies they were, and,
by the means, called down the impotent
wrath of the local Democratic organ, because
its owners were robbed thereby of their am
munition for the campaign. As the canvass
advanced and began to grow warm in other
States these same accusations, though thou
sand times refuted and disproved, were
caught up and unblushingly alleged against
Gen. Garfield, and finally, just before the Oc-
tober elections, the .329 idiocy, planned at
the Democratic headquarters, and sprung
simultaneously on the whole country, was
put forth as a sort of master piece of folly
and inanity. The result in Indiana and Ohio
showed that these tactics did not work, or,
rather, it showed that they did work to the
overwhelming discontinue of their authors.
The Democratic case grew desperate, and
last week, evidently in sheer desperation,
w. II. Bsrnum, chairman of the national
Democratic committee, put forth the Chinese
letter forgery and flaming pronunciamento
alleging that Republican ''repeaters" were
being sent to Florida. How both of these
devices fell short of their mark and dropped
like lead to the ground, and how the author
of the forged letter has been promptly arrest
ed and held for trial, is told in full in our col
umns, outside and inside, to-day
For fortnight past the Democratic lead
ers have seen certain defeat staring their par
ty in the face, and the very hopelessness of
their case has driven them TO acts which
have only made their ruin doubly assured
1t is not an edifying spectacle to see the
chosen manager of a great political party
posing in the ridiculous and indefensible at
titude in which W, II. Rarnum has placed
himself within the last ten days, Under the
general estimate in which Mr.. Barnum is
held, however, these performances can work
little detriment to his reputation. 70 his
own party they have said, in effect, "we are
beaten, our case is hopeless anything now
for sensation, or to cast suspicion on the
Republicans or their candidates !" When
Gen. Garfield was first nominated Alexander
II. Stevens said that if the Democrats at
tempted to smirch or traduce him, they
would certainly elect him. That Mr.. Ste
Venss saying is bound TO be proved true next
Tuesday no reasonable man doubts. BY the
very malignity of their attacks the Demoera-
cy have over-reaohed themselves; when too
late they find that they have thrown a boom
erang which returns to stab them to the vi
tails. We wish We could believe that the les
sons of this campaign might teach them that
decency aud common honesty arc effective
and Indispensable weapons in politics as in
every other kind of warfare.