Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-08-19
Hayes and Garfield.

consututionally elected; Hayes was
counted in by the Electoral Commits
sion. Both Lincoln and Grant were
unanimously re-nominated at the close
of their first term Hayes name was
not presented to the Chicago conven-
tion, and during the entire balloting
he received but a single vote. Why
has Hayes no following? Has he
separated from his party as did Tyler,
Fillmore and johnson No, he has
been in perfect accord with his party
on all measures. Has his adninistra-
tion been so corrupt as to render his
name infamous, and thus drive away
his own party? No, it has been a
great improvement III that respect
upon the one Immediately preceding
it. Has his cabinet been mixed up
with the sale of Post traderships and
the Whiskey Ring frauds a. Grants
wasy No, whatever we a. Democrats
may think Of the ability of Hayes ad-
ministration, We are compelled to ad-
nit that it has been free from those
foul scandals which so disgraced the
name of America in all civilized coun-
tries during the eight years of Grants
administration. Why then did no one
in the Republican party propose to
nominate Hayes, when it had been the
uniform practice TO give President a
unanimous denomination There has
been no such breach between Hayes
and the Republican leaders as occur
red between Lincoln and leading men
during the war and between Grant
and Sumner and others. Excepting
the removal of few subordinate Off
GERS, such as Cornell and Arthur, no
cause of disagreement has existed be-
tween Hayes and any influential lead
er Of his party. He has done every
thing his party demanded of him,
however desperate it was, even to the
crime of infanticide, for he has strang-
led his own infant Civil Service Re
form" Why then, we ask again,
was there no one TO demand or even
favor his nomination. There is but one
answer to the question. He was never
elected President, and for four years
has been usurping an office belonging
to another. All intelligent Republi-
cans, either openly or secretly, admit
this. No person vi5;;:iiug TO be above
the mental condition of an idiot now
seriously pretends that Hayes was
elected. He stole the Presidency and
the party dare not attempt to carry
that load in campaign. Hence Hayes
himself and every other prominent
man in the party at once recognized
the impossibility of Hayes re.nomi-
nation and election. The nomination
of Garfield was an accident, not pre-
meditated. II was made without
thought, in the excitement of STAN.
pede. No one at the time thought Of
his connection with and responsibility
for the Presidential steal Of 1877.
Glad to escape the evils of a third
term on the one hand and the scandal
of the Mulligan embroglio on the
other, the delegates rushed to the
nomination of Garfield as the only
port of safety. Yet he was one of the
majority of the Electoral Commission
who but three years before had stolen
the Presidency anu given il to Hayes.
Garfield had been selected by the Re
publican members of the House as a
fit instrument to do this work. The
choice was no doubt made because of
his connection with the Credit Mobiiier
and De GoIyer affairs and the facility
with which he had forcsworn himself
before the Poland committee. II was
necessary to have a ...an who would
not shrink at perjury. He had to
take an oath to support the Constitu-
ton and to decide according to right
and justice, and after taking that oath
was expected TO wholly disregard 1t,
trample the Constitution under his
feet and utterly ignore both right and
justice. The Republican members Of