Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1880-07-01
GARFIELD'S START.
How he got his First Political Nomination.
From the Akron iOhlo) Beacop.)

from the Akron iOhlo) Beacon.)
Inc elevation of General James A. Garfield
10 the highest office in the gift of the people
OF ONO, gives occasion for some interesting
"reminiscences concerning his advent into
political life. Summit county people may
feel just pride that his introduction into
public life was his nomination as State Sena.
TOR iron. this, the Goth senatorial district,
composed of the counties of Summit and
Portage, and Akron people may find some
additional cause for local pride in the fact
that about his first political speech after his
nomination was delivered at Grace Park, in
this city.
For these facts in the case the Beacon is in
debted to the files of the Weekly Beacon, and
to the recollections of Hon. n. w. Goodhue,
Judge N. ID. Tibbals and eX. Governor Sidney
| EdgertOn.
Pursuant to call a convention of Senatorial
delegates assembled in Franklin Mills, (nOW
KentO Portage county, on the 23d OF Au-
gust, 1859, to place in nomination Repub-
lican candidate for State Senator from this
district.
d. l.. Rockwell, of Franklin Mills, called
the convention to order, and John Johnston,
of Summit, was elected chairman Frederick
Williams, of Portage, vice president, and c.
b. Bernard, of Summit, and Hiram Giddings
of Portage, secretaries. The report of the
committee on credentials showed 81 delegates
present from Portage and % from Summit.
In accordance with the rule of alternating
the nominations between the two counties-a
rule for the first time broken over in the re-
cent unanimous denomination of Senator
Beebe-the chairman of the Portage county
delegation reported the name of James A.
Garfield, of Hiram, as their choice A. H.
Lewis moved that the nomination be made by
acclamation, which was carried, and MIR.
Garfield, who was present, briefly returned
bis thanks for the compliment After trans
acting some other business the convention
adjourned.
One week later, namely, on the 30th of
August, grand Republican mass meeting
was held in Grace Park, this city, addressed |
by Governor Salmon P. Chase At the con.
clusion of his address, which was two and |
half hours in length, Mr.. Garfield was intro
duced as ''our candidate for State Senator"
Here is what the Summit county Beacon of |
August 31st, 1859, says of him:
''After Mr.. Chase, Mr.. Garfield, the Re-
publican candidate for senator, was called for
and in brief terms addressed the convention.
He vindcated the old Protestant principle
the right of private judgment-applying it
With admirable adroitness and tact to the cir
cumstances of this time and thus political
Mr.. Garfield is a ready, fluent
speaker. Fluent he is, but every word carries
ts thought. No public speaker within our
acquaintance uses fewer empty figures of
speech or utters more weighty thoughts in
lpt and expressive words"
The person of whom these words were
written by Mr.. A. II. Lewis, then editor of
he Bacon, was young man not yet %,
omewhat "green" as the world goes, but '
rom his experience as Principal of Hiram
academy, as Disciple preacher and some
What as political stumper, ready, impress
We and and forcible speaker. He was poss-
ssed of remarkably warm and affectionate 8
emperament and with difficulty restrained I
is natural eXhuberance of manner in the t
resence of others where its exhibition would q
ave made him appear ridiculous. While q
lis was his first nomination for any public q
oeition, it would not be strictly true to say a
lat he Was comparatively unknown, as bis s.
lerits were pretty freely canvassed in both Fl
ounties previous to the convention. u
On the occasion of his visit to Akron above is
,ferred to, he was accompanied by 0. p. p
rown, ESQ.,, of Ravenna, and the two were v
ltertained at the hospitable home of N. W. Il
oodhue Esq. To Dir. Brown, who was G.
an of great sagacity and who made gal
Mt run for the Congressional nomination in
'57, tieing through many ballots the conven-
IN at Uniontown, Stark county, which
lally nominated Gov. Edgerton, may justly !;
given very much of the credit for bringing y, "
r. Garfeld's claims before the public and of '. :"
rning his great abilities in the direction of .a;t
fairs of State. Brown welded great in q, a.
ence in Portage county, and it was practi- ~ ~
lily at his dictation that Garfield was named o. o.
their delegation over severa' others of a. o.
eater prominence who undoubtedly desired ipS
e nomination. ~ ~
Nor did Summit county's claims on Gener- w W
Garfield begin there. for it was while serv- ~, ~
as steersman on the Ohio Canal that he y, =
sde the decision one night to jump from .r ..r
boat upon convenient bridge and start =,
t to get an education, and it was from the m en
llmadge coal mines. we are informed. by d, ar
unity Surveyor r. s. Paul, that Garfield W.: ";
I'd to haul coal to Cuyahoga Falls and Ak .nl .hl
/ for Mr.. Paul's father, County Surveyor, m an'
sea Paul, Sr., in which period of his ex. su' m
,nce the embryo statesman used to swear a: el:
e trooper and could slick" anybody of w, wa
size in that section. g!!'
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