The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1880-07-23
WHEN AND WHY Mr.. GARFIELD RE-
''''@" TURNED HIS BACK FAY. ft

|
March, 1878.
Mr.. Garf1eld's share of the spoils OF
that embezzlement amounted to "a, ,54s.
Although he had been more reaponsi-
bic than any other Congressman for
the passage of the retroactive act, as
The Sun has shown by a review of his
course at the time, and although the
money thus shamefully gained came
into his possession, it is true that he
did not keep it long. While secretly
conniving at the, grab, aud using his
to defeat all opposition to the scheme,
he had pretended to regard the pro-
posed steal with abhorrencc. After he
disgorged, he pretended thai, the act
Of restoration was a vfrtuous one, in-
spircd by conscientious motives. ga
We take it for granted, therefore,
that tho points upon which our CORES
| pondents desire to be enlightened are
these: When did Mr.. Garfield refund
the ~ 4,54s of plumber, and why did he
refund it? ..-,,.,...,...,.,
It has been variously claimed BY Mr..
Garfield's friends that 'ho was "the first
to cover his back pay into the treasury"
that he was Hthe fourth" "the sixth,'
and 'samong the earliest;" and, also,
! that. .sfrom motives ofdelicacy to others
WIZ AASSu AAOe AOAAO"VA AAAS OsAU4APACS 1o
refused to permit his friends to publish
the fact until some weeks AFTER" In .
speech delivered by Mr.. Garfield at
Warren, Ohio, in 1874, he endeavored
to give the impression that he had
been tho first to refund, without max
ing himself responsible for the asser-
ton. He said to his constituents:
"I do not myself parade the fact, but
moro than a year ago the New York
World published a list, stating in chro-
biological order tho Senators and Re-
presentatives who covered their back
pay into the Treasury. My name ,Ucrs
first on the list" establishment.
j.. A few weeks ago q gentleman of
Iowa sought Information of tho Treas
ury Department in regard to the exact
date of Mr.. Garfeld's act of conscience.
He received from Assistant Treasurer
Upton the following reply, which has
been published in many newspapers
ssTREAsURY DEPARTMENT..
"OTTICE OF THE SECRETARY.
"WAsHINGToN, June %, 1880.
''1. DUsEY, Esq, East Des Moincs.
Iowa:
"SIR: In reply to your letter of the
18th inst, asking to be informed on
| what date the Hon. Jas. A Garfield
paid into the Treasury his back pay,
and how the Treasury books show this
ira ansection. have to inform you that
it appears from the records of this office
that tho sum of $4,54S was deposited
to the credit of the Treasurer of the
United States in the name of Jas. A.
Garfield on account of retroactive in
1878, and that this amount was covered
into the Treasury by miscellaneous
covering warrant No. 704 second quarter
1873, and cannot be withdrawn except
by act of Congress. Very respectfully,
ssJ. X. Upton, Assist ant Secretary"
The Forty-sccond Congress came to
an end March 4, 1873, voting itself in
its last hours nearly two million dol
lars Of back pay. Mr.. Garficld's con-
science operated in Aprii-on the 22d
day of April, according to most of the
printed versions of Mr.. Upton's letter
to Mr.. Dusey, or on the "a of April, if
the Now York Tribune accurately
prints that letter. We have not seen
the original of the Upton letter. Lot
us assume that tho date was April 9,
instead of April %. .r...-.
During tho four weeks between tho
date on which Mr.. Garfield came into
possession of his 81, ,54S and April 2,
tho earliest day alleged to bc the date
of his refuntling that sum, the country
had become thoroughly awake as to
the infamous character Of the salary
grab: Never did disgraceful act bring
speedicr retribution upon its pcrpetra-
tors. In twenty -four hours after tho
Forty-seconJ Congress had adjourned
the whole country knew what had been
done, and was boiling with indigna-
ton. Meetings were held, resolutions
; were passed, guilty Congressman were
denounced by their own constituents
and in the organs Of their own parties.
Then the members who had pocketed
the money began to straggle to the
Treasury Department, some of them
| in advance of the storm, some of them
under stress of weather. To the latter
class James A. Garfield belongs.
On March %, 1873, regular Re-
publican Convention for Trumbull
County, in his district, was held mt
Warren. The purpose of the Conven-
tion was to nominate candidate for
member of State Constitutional Con-
vention. Although the Republicans of
Trumbull County had not assembled