Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-06-09


OF the House and won recognition which
few new members succeed in gaining. He
was not popular among his fellow-members
during his first term. They thought him
something of pendant because he sometimes
showed his scholarship in his speeches, and
they were jealous of his prominence. His
solid Attachments and amable social qualities
enabled him to overcome this prejudice DUR
ing his second term, and he became on terms
OF close friendship with the best men of both
Houses. His committee service during his
second term was on the ways and means,
which was quite to his taste, for it gave him
an opportunity to prosecute the studies in
finance and political economy which he had
always felt a fondness for. He was hard
worker and great reader in those days, 60
ing home with his arms full of books from
the Congressional library and sitting up late
nights to read them. 1t was then that he
laid the foundations of the convictions on the
subject of national finance which he has since
held to firmly amid all the storms of political
agitation. He was renominated in 1864, with
out opposition, but in 1866, Mr.. Hutchins,
whom he had supplanted, made an effort to
defeat him. Hutchins canvassed the district
thoroughly, but the convention nominated
Garfield by reclamation. He has had no op-
position since in his own party. In 1872 the
Liberals and Democrats united to beat him
but his majority was larger than ever In
1874 the Greenbackers and Democrats COM
bined and put up popular soldier against
him, but they made no impression on the re-
suit. The Ashtabula district, as it is generally
called, is the most faithful to its representa-
tives of any in the North 1t has had but four
members in half century.
HIS WORK IN CONGRESS-.
In the Fortieth Congress General Garfield
was chairman of the committee on military
affairs. In the Forty-frst he was given the
craftsmanship of banking and currency,
which he liked much better, because it was
in the line of his financial studies. His next
promotion was to the Craftsmanship of the
appropriations committee, which he held un-
til the Democrats came into power in the
House in 1876. His chief work on that COM
mittee was steady and judicious reduction
of the expenses of the government. In all
the political struggles in Congress he has
borne a leading part, his clear, vigorous aud
moderate style of argument making him one
of the most effective debaters in either House.
When James G. Blaine went to the Senate,
in 1S77, the mantle of Republican leadership
in the House was by common consent placed
upon Garfield, and he has worn it ever since.
In January last General Garfield was elected
to the Senate to the seat which will be va
Gated by Allen G. Thurman on the 4th OF
March, 1881. He received the unanimous
vote of the Republican caucus, an honor never
given to any man of any party in the State OF
Ohio. Since his election he has been the
recipient of many complimentary manifesto
tions in Washington and in Ohio.
GARFIELD AS A LEADER.
As leader in the House he is more cautious
and less dashing than Blaine, and his Judicial
turn of mind makes him too prone to look for
two sides of question for him to be an eff
ciens partisan. When the issue fairly touches
his convictions, however, he becomes thorough
ly aroused and strikes tremendous blows.
Blaine's tactics were to continually harrass
the enemy by sharp-shootlng surprises and
picket firing. Garfield waits for an Oppor-
tunity to deliver pitched battle, and his
generslship is shown to best advantage when
the fight is fair one and waged on grounds
where each party thinks itself strongest. Then
his solid shot of argument are exceedingly
effective. On the stump Garfield is one of the
very best orators IN the Republican party. He
has good voice, an air of evident sincerity,
great clearness and vigor of statement and a
way of knitting his arguments together 80 as
to make speech deepen its impression on the
mind of the nearer until the climax is reached.
Of his industry and studious habits a great
deal might be said, but single illustration
will have to suffice here. Once during the
busiest part of a very busy session at Washing
ton, found him in his library behind a big
barricade of books. This was no unusual
sight, but when glanced at the volumes I saw
that they were all different editions of Horace,
or books relating to that poet. Il find L am
overworked and need recreation, said the gen.
eral. ''Now my theory Is that the best
way to rest the mind is not to let it be
idle, but to put it at something quite outside
of the ordinary line of its employment. 80 l
am resting by learning all the Congressional
II
editions and translations of his poems.
GARFIELD AT HOME.
General Garfield is the possessor of two
houses, and his family nigrates twice a. year.
Some ten years ago, finding how unsatisfactory
life was in hotels and boarding houses, he
bought lot of ground on the corner of Thir-
tenth and streets, in Washington, and with
money borrowed of friend built plain, sub
stantial three-story house. A wing was ex-
tended afterwards to make room for the fast
growing library. The money was repaid in
time, and was probably saved in great part
from what would otherwise have gone to land
lords. The children grew up in pleasant home
surroundings, and the house became centre
of much simple and cordial hospitality. Five
or six years ago, the little cottage at Hiram
was sold, and for a time the only
residence the Garfields had in
his district was summer house
he built on Little Mountain, bold elevation
in Lake county, which commands view of
thirty miles of rich farming country stretched
along the shore of Lake Erie. Three years ago
he bought a farm in Mentor, in the same
county, lying on both sides of the Lake Shore
& Michigan Southern railroad. Here his fam
lily spend all the time when he is free from his
duties in Washington. The farm house is a
low old fashioned, story and a half building,
but its limited Accommodations have been sup
plemented by numerous out buildings, one of
which General Garfield uses for office and lib
rary purposes. The farm contains about one
hundred and twenty acres of excellant land, in
high state of cultivation, and the Congress
man finds recreation, of which he never tires,
in directing the field work and making i'm
provements in the buildings, fences
and orchards. Cleveland Is only
twenty-five miles away; there
is post office and railway station within half
a mile, and the pretty country town of Paines-
Vile is but five miles distant. One of the pleas
ures of summer life on the Garfield farm is a
drive of two miles through the woods to the
lake shore and bath in the breakers.
General Garfield has five children living, and
has lost two, who died in infancy. The two old
er boys, Harry and James, are now at school In
New Hampshire. Mary. or Molly, as everybody
calls her, is a handsome, rosy-cheeked girl of
ABOUT Ii. IDc TWO younger UOJs oio houOu
Irwin and Abram. The Generals mother Is
still living and has long been a member of his
family She is an intelligent and energetic old
lady, with clear head and strong will, and
keeps well posted in the news of the day and is
very proud of her sons career, though more
liberal of criticism than of praise.
General Garfield district lies in the extreme
northeastern corner of Ohio, and now embraces
the counties of Ashtabula, Trumbull Geauga,
Lake and Mahoning. His old home County of
Portage was detached from it a year ago. With
the exception of the coal and iron regions in
the extreme southern part, the district is purely
a rural one, and is inhabited by population
of pure New England ancestry. 1t is claimed
that there is less illiteracy in proportion to the
population than in any other district in the
United States.
In person General Garfield is six feet high,
broad-shouldered and strongly built. He has
an unusually large head that seems to be
threa-fourtha forahaad Euht brown hair and