Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-07-16
Let the Light Shine.

FRIDAY EVENING. JULY 10. 1880.
Let the Light Shine.
Republican politicians are trying to
console themselves with the belief that |
the present current of public sentiment.
which is so Enthusiastically moving in
favor of Hancock and English, will
change before the election and give Gar
field and Arthur a chance of election.
1t is remarkable how universally the fact
is recognized that at present the Demo-
cratic ticket has all the prospect OF sue
cess. There never was campaign which
promised so strongly to be walk over
for one of the parties. 1t is too strongly
SO to Ike altogether pleasant. We miss
the excitement of doubt, and there is
some danger perhaps from over conf
dence in victory. But this can hardly
Ike. The Democratic ticket gets its
strength positively from the good record
of its own candidates and from the
bad record of the candidates of its olpo-
nents. 1t is positively true that
there is so much to Ike said against Car
field and Arthur that Democratic ora
tors and editors are embarrassed with the
richness of their material, and some OF
them are disposed to silence concerning
the charges affecting Garfield's personal
integrity. Senator Bayard for instance
found plenty of material for strong
speech without using this matter and
Judge Black goes further and says that
he will not believe Garfield guilty OF
these evil things charged against his
character, although he thinks that moth
ing could he worse than his political
conduct. Hon. Victor f. Piollet has the
same idea, as we find from speech made
by him ut a pOle-raising at Waverly,
New York. lie says 1--WE have no Oc-
casion to reflect upon or say an unkind
word against Gen. Garfield, who IS an
able and an honorable man in my Opin-
ion. In fact nothing has been said un-
kind of him by the Democrats. The
damaging accusations that are repeated
sometimes come from Republican i'll
vestigating committee, appointed by a
Republican congress. Gen. Garfield has
defeated the third term conspirators and
their man Grant. For this Democrats
admire him. TOdefeat him is all we de
sire and leave him with whatever of ;
good name he may have earned
When the Democrats think they can at
ford to be thus generous to their foe surely
there would seem to Ike small chance thai
the latter will ever get their head:
farther above the water than they art
now. 1t is Il confession of great weak
ness when you have occasion to fee
grateful to your enemy for his leniency
The present tendency of political senti
ment is not likely to change so long Il!
Democrats hold in their quivers 81
many arrows that some of them fee
that they c:ln afford to spare the use
the poisoned ones. We are not of TIN
number who incline to be thus merciful
We see no good reason why the
whole truth should not be spoken of Gar
field nor why he should he spared frOr
a fair construction upon his personal /.
well rs his political acts, if they hav
been of a kind to unfit him for the Otlic
he claims.
lie is a man of weak and vacillatin'
opinions who does not look to his homes
convictions for his guidance, but hearl
ems to the demands of his party. Iii
duty holds him less strongly than his il
terest. 1t is just for this reason that h
WAS capable of taking five thousand do
lars us an attorney fee in Il case in wllic
he already held the governments retaine
us congressman; of taking too, Cred
Mubilier stock when he was similarl
bound to the nation to keep himself fire
from suspicion of acting against its il
terest through his connection with tllOs
who sought its bounty.
We believe in letting the light shir
fully upon this man-tO wither him. II
has amply deserved it. He will afford
shining example to the coming gener
tions of the value of character for pc
scnal and political integrity in one wi
comes before the people for their appro
al. He lacks both and his fall will
great because thereof. He has alreai
fallen. lie is 4 candidate borne down
the weight of his misdeeds before he
fairly afloat. The camp followers d
sert him. He makes no converts. L
has no hope.