Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-06-26

the pamphlet. If the statements of
the pamphlet should be exploded by
citations from the testimony taken
by the committee of congress the
of Mr.. Garfield would be IT.
r%etrievably ruined. Governor Foster
made himself the enfant' terrible OF
the republican party by g~ratuitously
advertising the existence of that for
gotten pamphlet, which, for ought
we know, contains matter of which
it's author may have good reasons 10
repent. Be its contents what they
may, they preclude a recourse to ae-
fensive subterfuges not thought OF at
the time and make 1t necessary lof
Mr.. Garfield to stand or tall on the
u offered to his constituents
when the accusations were fresh ana
his knowledge of the facts was as
perfect as it could ever become. A
bull in q china shop is a faint image
of the part Governor Foster has
PLAYED, unless General Gartield's
pamphlet, addressed to the simple
minded farmers Of his district,
pass the ordeal of intelligent public
criticism. 1t seems that the pamphlet
did not satisfy even the limited re-
publican audience to which it was
addressed. In spite Of it General
Garfield lost nearly six Thousand i've
hundred votes in the election which
followed its publication. We never
heard of this pamphlet until Gov.
Foster took the bold risk of adver-
Using it. He has excited u curl
osity aud the curiosity of the
republican party at least, II not
of the whole country. We will be
obliged to any citizen Of the nine.
teenth Ohio district who will SEND
US q copy. We will pay a liberal
price for it if the presidential candi-
date and his friends are trying to
suppress it and are making copies so
scarce that they have a pecuniary
value. II a copy is sent US g~ratuiously
by any friend of General Garfield we
engage to make it's contents very
widely known by q copious abstract
which shall give the strong points OF
his defense without distortion or
suppression. We are anxious to see
him exculpated and will give him a
fair and candid hearing. AS General
Garfield himself must have copies of
his pamphlet we will take it as a
favor if he will sGnd US one, andif he
chooses to mark passages whose re-
publication he desires we Will falth-
fully comply with his wishes. reserv.
ing, of course, our right OF candid
comment. Nobody will more sin
cerely rejoice than the Herald to see
his reputation cleared.
But if Mr.. Garfield thinks it mex
pedient to rest his defense oh the
hasty electioneering pamphlet which
he addressed TO his uncritical constlt.
uents, who lacked facilities for refu'
tstion because they had no ready &C.
cess to the original testimony. and
| were obliged to take his statements
on trust if he chooses to make
wider appeal to the general judgment
Of the country on arguments address
ed to a public capable Of %refutins
them if they are sephistical, he can
not do q wiser thing than to accep'
our friendly offer. Mr.. Garfield is NJ
gesling ; he has been toe long in pub
lie life not to know that the columns
of the Herald are the best channel fO'
attack or defense which Is open Il
American statesmen. The Herald Ii
the only vehicle of wide universe
| DuDllClLv. u0toSCI IL.
may choose to say i'll our columns ma
a sure passport to attention, and n
ought to appreciate our generosity II
Offering him the means of spreading
his v%indication throughout the coun
try and to the uttermost bounds o
civilization. 1t is simply foolish Il
say that he would thereby put him
self on the defensive. He is OIL tn
defensive in any event until thes
grave charges are disposed of. If h
can refute them let him do it ono
for all. If he declines to make an.
defense the natural presumption viii
be.that he has no defense whic
would help him. The case agains
him has a terribly ugly look as pre-
scented by his adversarles the recen
apologies of his friends are as dam
aging as the original accusations; III
less he comes to the rescue he Is beat
Ell. out of sight before the campaign
fairly opened.