Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1880-07-29
The Defense of Garfield.

setts, from data furnished by the
Ohio statesman himself, in the
hope of refuting the serious allesa-
tiohs which connect his (Garfleld's9
name SO unpleasantly with the in
famous Credit Mobiller steal and
the De Golyer paying contract.-
The "detense" is put forth Without
being substantiatcd- by verba! or
documentary evidence of any kind
whatever, and is about the thinnest
subterfuge that could possibly have
been resorted to by the Republican
nominee for the Presidency. As
the Philadelphia Times remarks in
revie wing the statement that has
been put forth by Gen. Garfield.
cit would have been better for
him to have been silent on all
charges than to have attempted to
answer them, and yet he ilent on
the points which most conclnsively
condemn him." This summing up
the situation tersely and truthtully.
The attempt to explain away the
charges that are SO heavily handi-
capping the Chicago nominee in
the Presidential race is simply no
explanation at all, and volumes of
silch rubbish as this "campaign
life" would fail to clear up the re-
cord Of Gen. Garfield. On the
subject of the memorandum in
Garf1elG's own handwriting show
ing his connection with the purchase
of the 50 400 Credit Mobilier stock
which Mr. Arnes produced before
the Congressional committee Moth
ing whatever is said and it is
equally strange and damaging in
this alleged defense that no allusion
is made to the report OF the Re
publican committee through Judge
Poland, which Said: "The facts
in regard to Mr.. Garfield, as found
by the committee, arc that he
agreed with Mr.. Amcs to take ten
shares of Credit Mobilier stock, but
did not pay for the saliie: Mr..
Ames received the 80 per cent.
dividend in bonds and sold them
for 81 per cent, and also received
the 60 per cent. cash dividend,
which, together with the price OF
the stock and interest, left balance
OF 1929. This sum was paid over
to Mr.. Garfield by a check Oh the
sergent-at-arms, and Mr. Garfield
then understood this sum was the
balance of dividends after paying
for the stock"
Mr.. Garfield also preserves a
singular silence on the question Of
the De Golyer tee cf S., GOO, which
he accepted for his ''professional
services" and of which Justice
Swayne, in delivering the opinion
of tho Supreme Court of the = 1ited
States in the case of suit brought
in the Cook County Court Of Hi
nois to recover the amount OF the
corruption tunG for the Washing
ton paying contracts, used the fol-
lowing uumlstakable language -
''The agreement with Gen. Gar
field, member Of Congress, to
pay him S5, GOO as d contingent fee
tor procuring contract, which
was itself made to deperd upon a
future appropriation by Congress
which appropriation could only
come from a committee Of which
he was cEairrnai!-was sale of
official influence which no veil can
cover against the plairest princi-
piles OF public policy. No coun-
selor-at-]aw, while holding high
office, has right to put himself in
a position of temptation, and under
pretense Of making a legal argn-
ment exert his official Influence
upon public officers dependent upon
his future action. Certaifil,. the
courts of justice will never lend
themselves to enforce contracts
obtained by such influence" Not
withstanding the fact that the
''detense" growing out of the Mo
bilicr scandal comes in the shape OF
Statement, in the first person,
from Gen Garfield, it will be seen
that he makes no attempt to ex-
plain away the charges, but clairt1s
that it was ''loan," which he
atterward repaid-but not until the
hefarious transaction was exposed
The "defcnse' OF the De Golycr
bribe is even more Eretched
piece Of business. The trhth OF
this is already amply at:ested and
accepted as the real inwardness OF
The disgraceful transaction by all
unprejudiced persoiis, but he sitn-
ply enters general denial of the
allegations, unsupported by single
particle OF evidence. He was, he
says, sin no way interested in the
contract" and his "only connec-
tion with the case" was his cap
pearihg before the Board of Public
Works. Subsequently he "al :