The daily gazette., 1880-10-26
From the N. Y. star, Oct. 25. 1880.
GENERAL GARFIELD's LETTER
IN THE LIGHT OF HIS CON-
GRESSIONAL RECORD.

Gen. Garfield's denial of the genu
| ineness of his letter to II. L. Morey In
favor Of Chinese cheap labor deceives
nobody.
Independent OF the fact that it is
unmistakably in his own handwriting,
that hundreds OF persons familiar with
his chirography, have identified it al
his, there is evidence that he wrote il
in the fact that the sentiments it con.
tains are in accord with his opinion,
and acts as q member of the House o
Representatives.
That his sympathies have been with
the capitalists of the country and
against the workingmen is a mattor OF
record.
During the Forty-third Congress he
was Chairman Of the Committee on
Appropriations, and while favorins all
the huge corporations that sought pc
cuniary aid from the Government, he
brought in the Sundry Civil Service
bill with clause cutting down the
wages paid printers in the Government
Printing Office.
Gen. Hawley OF Connecticut, Gen.
butler. of Massachusetts, and Others
stoutly resisted the proposed reduc-
tiOn.
In reply to their arguments Gen.
Garfield insisted that the men were
overpaid. and thought that the Gov
ernment should exercise its power of
surtailing the expenses Of the Office,
although he admitted thai the printers
did more night work and thai their
employment was more irregular than
in outside printing offices.
Notwithstanding that the Injustice
Of the reduction was made perfect,
plain, and in spite of his own admis-
sion Of the arduous and uncertain ma
ture of the employment, on the motion
to strike out the clause Gen. Garfield
voted No.
Equally susceptible of proof is that
his views concerning Chinese labor ex.
pressed in this letter are the views
which he has always held.
On the 14th OF January, 1878. MIR.
Wien Of Oregon introduced his bill to
restrict Chinese emigration. One year
later it was reported back {, ON the Conn
miitee Oh Education aud Labor. About
8 week prior to such report memorial
Of the Legislature of Oregon was laid
before the House, setting forth that the
lmportatt N Of Cooiie slaves was seri.
us injury To the laboring classes OF the
Ell Ire Pacific coast; that il reduced
wages 10 starvation prices that il tend.
ed to drive white and all oLher free lanor
ut OF the country that IL compelled
the latter TO choose between starvation
aud crime, and that inasmuch As the
Coolies sent IS per cent. of their earn.
lnRs TO China 1t caused a drain on our
com and reduced our circulating me-
dium.
Throughout the debate that Mr..
Wren's bill excited Gen. Garfield omit
ted no opportunity to manifest his hos
tility to its passage. lie employed all
the parliamentary articles Of which he
was master to defeat it. Nevertheless
it received majority Of the votes cast
aud went to the Eenate, where 1t va,
passed, Feb. 10, 1879, and sent back To
the House with amendments.
Again Gen. Garfield unsuccessfully
sought to kill it. The Senate amend.
ments were adopted, but the bill wa,
vetoed by Mr.. Hayes on March |. Ate,
The reading OF his message the question
was "Will tue House on reconsideration
pass this bill, Notwithstanding the OBJ
jec.ion Of the President ?" The yea
and nays were ordered, and the resul
was ITO yeas nays, 96. Gen. GarfeIt
u0ted nay.
In view Of such a record as this, is i
at all incredible that he should Q, We at
terance TO the sentiments contained i,
his letter to MoTey, written at a tim,
when he had not the remotrst idea a
receiving the nomination for President
and 10 expectation that the letter itselt
marked "personal and confidential.
would ever be made publc2