Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-10-28
A Neglected Issue.

self. They might honestly have con-
Quoted the canvass upon that issue. II
had the sanction of the Republican can
didate for the Presidency TO begin with.
1t was evidently the purpose of Mr..
Garfield to turn the campaign and its
discussions into this channel. 1t had
the sanction of the Republican party
and its tendencies for fifteen years, ten
denotes that are increasing. 1t had the
sanction of all of the antecedents of the
Republican party, in men and in politi-
cal organizations. known IN our history.
The Wing party and the Federal party
and their adherents and distinguishing
ideas were the immediate ancestors of
the motives which Garfield two months
ago tried to make the issue of this can
vass. Garfield wanted any issue other
than his own record. He had recently
said that the party was damned which
should attempt to get power through
fomenting sectional strife. though he
became hottest among the fomenters
after saying so.
On the 9th day of August last. after
the notorious Republican conference in
! New York. when Garfield went to that
city to be snubbed by Conkling, Gar
field was serenaded at the head-quar-
tiers of the National Republican Com
mittee. 1t was an unusual thing
for Presidential candidate TO
journey SO far to conciliate y promi-
nent member of his own party. 1t
was still more singular that he journey.
! ed in vain. There was sufficient for
mality attached to the serenade and
/ speech 10 give the country reason TO
( believe that Garfield intended to pitch
/ the Keynote of the canvass in his re-
Spouse to the serenade. What did he
say? He praised the great State of
! New York chiefly because it had pro-
duced Alexander Hamilton. This is
T New York, and yonder. toward the bat
! terry, more than hundred years ago, a
/ young student of Columbia College was
arguing the ideas of the American
/ Revolution" etc. That student,
soldier. statesman and great leader of
. thought, Alexander Hamilton, made
the Republic glorious" etc. "And
here, on this island, the scene of his
early triumphs, we gather tonight, SOL
dierS of the new war, representing the
same ideas" etc. Garfield had previ-
ouslv said, years before, that the prin-
! ciples of jefferson were on the wane,
and that those of Hamilton were OBJ
tanning. 1.-The people want 4 stronger
Government; and /, for one, am glad
of it,
1t is plain that Garfield wished to
draw the attention of the American
people from his own record. which
was inevitably an issue, and a true
one, and from issues which he
knew were false and repulsive to
intellect and patriotism, to the
discussion of the fundamental princi-
piles of government. Had he been a
strong, commanding, potential candi-
date, the canvass would have taken the
direction he sought to give it. He ar
rayed the Hamltonan idea against the
Jetfersonian idea. and invited a COM
bat. He pleaded for a strong Govern
ment as against individuals, strong as
against strong people. and asked for a
trial OF the relative strength of these
ideas before the voters of the country.
He raised the issue OF Government
against the people, and asked for q
verdict.
This was. to large degree, honest
and consistent. Garfield and Alexander
Hamilton and the Republican party are
harmonious touching the principles of
government. 1t is the Hamiltonian no.
ton that Garfield wants-that the Re-
publican party wants. Garfield, in this
respect, is the lineal descendant of
Hamilton; and it is interesting to recol-
lect that Hamilton was the first promi-
nent man in the history of the Republic
caught in financial Irregularities. Men
called him a defaulter. And his excuse
was as old rs the story of the human
race: 1.-The woman gave me and did
eat" He did not say II borrowed"
But this is aside.
Shrewd Republicans saw that this
issue, though perhaps the real. honest
issue of the canvass, would defeat Gar
field. 1t was plain that if the issue
were bluntly presented the people
would not vote against themselves.
Garfield, in his haste to escape from
himself, did not see this. No man in
our early history so little sympathized
with our form of Government as Ham, |
ilton He nevever believed in Re-
public, in Democracy. He wanted a
President for life. He wanted Senate |
with members elected for life. He |
wanted Governors of States appointed |
by the Federal Government, with the |
veto power. He wanted Government |
remote from the people. This is Gar |
field ideal Government This is the |
Republican party's ideal Government. |
The Jeflersonian idea, the Democratic |
idea. is exactly the opposite. A small
Government: and large individ |
ual is the Democratic principle. |
A Government close to the |
people and the subject of the people
was and is the goal of the Democratic
party. A Government above the peo-
pie is the Republican ambition.
Garfield named an honest issue. The |
Republican manipulators saw that the |
discussion of this would be fatal to their
Office loving longings. They hid real
issue behind false one-of course to
lose-to meet the reward of dishonesty
and falsehood. Ci1ciasaLi Enquirer.
A transparency carried in a Dem
p.ratic PROCESSION in Roston bore these