Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-09-02
Garfield and the Nineteenth District.

WHICH IoiloW ltS example, grossly mis-
represent the facts in regard to the vote
for General Garfield at different cleo
tions in the Nineteenth District.
In 1874 there was great falling off
IN the Republican vote of Ohio, which
was largely the result of a gross neglect
OF duty by the Republicans of the West
ern Reserve. General Garfield suffered
with the other candidates on the Repub-
llcan ticket, but the reduction of his
majority was far from being wholly
caused by personal ill-will towards him.
1t was the result of the general apathy
and dissatisfaction which prevailed that
year in the Republican party.
In 1872 General Garfield's majority
was 1O,995. General Wikoff was at the
head of the State ticket as Candidate for
Secretary of State. His majority was
1e,9SS in the counties composing the
Nineteenth District, and was "a greater
than Garfields. But of the total number
of Republican votes cast in the district
Garfield received only thirteen less than
were cast for Wikoff Garfeld's vote
was 19,1S9, Wikoff's 19,2O2.
In 1874 General Wikoff's vote in this
district was 15,4S3, falling off of near
ly 1000 votes from 1872. General Gar
fields vote was 1851, a decrease Of
6,5SS from 1872. He ran behind General
WikOff less than 5000 votes. In other
words, he lost about $500 votes, rs the
result of the bitter and unprecedented
war which was waged against him by
both Democrats and Republicans. The
hasty and ill-adyised action of the Re-
puhlicans was the principle cause of his
loss of votes The Trumbull County
Convention, without waiting to hear the
satisfactory explanation which General
Garfield could make of his vote On the
Salary Bill, passed resolutions condemn
ing him; the Warren Chronicle, the only
Republican paper in Trumbull county at
the time, teened with articles against
him in both prose and poetry, and some
of the latter is now going the rounds of
the Democratic newspapers as a cam
paign document. Many Republicans in
other counties of the district, misled by
the clamer, joined in the attack, and Of
course the Democrats made the most Of
the capital thus furnished. Thousands
upon thousands of copies of the New
York Sun, and another prominent news
paper, containing the most. elaborate and
violent attacks ON General Garfield,
were freely circulated, and no means
were neglected to reduce his vote. The
best and most popular Democrat in the
district, DR.. D. B. Woods of Warren,
was his competitor Yet with such op-
position, and such candidate pitted
against him, only $500 votes were turn
ed away from him, and his majority was
1O1 votes greater than the whole number
which were cast for DR.. Woods.
In 1876, General ]. S. Easement, of
Painesyille, brave Union soldier and
popular Republican, was nominated as
General Garfeld's competitor, and was
supported by the antl-Garlield Republi-
cans and the Democrats and Greenback-
ers. Easements total vote in the dis
trict was II ,349; nearly twice as large as
that of Dr. Woods in 1874 on account of
the union of all the opposition parties in
his support Garfeld's vote was 20,O12,
a gain of 1921 over his vote in 1874, and
s23 more than he received in 1872. His
majority in 1876 was $500, gain of
2,314 over his majority in 1874.
In 1878 the Democratic Legislature of
Ohio had gerrymandered Garfeld's dis
trict by throwing out the Republican
county of Portage, and adding the then
Democratic county of MahoniRg. In
that year General Garfield received
| II, 1856 votes. He had three competitors,
supported respectively by the Demo-
cratic, Greenback and Prohibitionist par
ties. The total vote cast for these three
candidates was 10,799. Gar6eld's ma
jority over his leading competitor was
9,61S, and his majority over all was
6,S67 Milton Barnes was in that year
at the head of the Republican State
ticket, as candidate for Secretary of
State. His vote in Garfeld's district was
1916, only SO votes more than were cast
for General Garfield.
These figures, taken from the official
returns, show that when q sufficient
time had elapsed for passions to cool,
and for the truth to become known, only
eighty-six Republicans i'll the Nineteenth
District continued to oppose General
Garfield. Most of them have since been
convinced of the error of their ways,
and are now heartily supporting the Re
publican candidate for the Presidency.
There is not prominent Republican in
the district who can be named as an
exception. Even "Tam Glenn" George
T. Townsend), the talented Scotch poet,
who did the most popular and famous
anti Garfield writing for the Chronicle,
is now an active worker for the States
man of Mentor. General Easement, who
was his competitor in 1876, is now one
of his most ardent supporters, and
headed the Lake County delegation
which hastened to Mentor to congratu-
late Mrs. Garfield ON the day that GEN
eral Garfield was nominated for the
Presidency. In the present campaign
General Garfield is receiving the unani-
nous support of the Republicans of his
old district. Nobody pays any attention
to the exploded stories which were used
with Some effect in 1874, and many intel
ligent Democrats, especially among bus
mess men, will vote for him in Novem-
Der. His majority in the XIXth dis
trict this year will far exceed any that
he has ever before received in this
stronghold of Republieanism.
Almost Young Again.
MY mother was afflicted 4 long time
with neuralgia and dull, heavy mac
tive condition .nf tha whole SVStam.