West-Jersey pioneer., 1880-06-10
THE NOMINEES.

! THE NOMINEES.
| General Garfield was born at Orange,
Cuyahoga County, Ohio, November 10, 1881.
His parents resided in New York State a
few years before, and went to Ohio in 1880.
His father died while he was an infant, and
his widowed mother had hard struggle to
support her four children. James was put
apprentice to carpenter after receiving a
plain education; but he did not like the
trade, and at seventeen he struck out for
himself as boatman on the Ohio canal,
acting first as mule driver, and then as a
deck hand. AS usual, he was seized with
the fever and ague, and in 1S4S lay on his
bed for three months with that distressing
malady.
| The year following young Garfield entered
the Geauga Academy, and paid his expenses
by working as a laborer, and doing chores
for the neighboring farmers until he was
chosen teacher, when he managed not only
to subsist on his salary, but to save up
enough to go to Williams College, in Massa-
chusetts, and there complete his education.
He graduated with honor in 1856, and re-
turned to his home in Ohio, and was elected
teacher of Latin and Greek in the Hiram
Eclectic Institute, and so successful and
popular was he that in 1857 he was chosen
president of that college. " hile in that
position he occasionally delivered religious
lectures, and, although layman, acquired
tl,o 10 nf GarfolA
later he studied law, was admitted to the
bar, and began to take an interest in poll
tics. In 1859 Garfield was chosen State
Senator for the district made up of Portage
and Summit counties In the Legislature
he was an outspoken Abolitionist, and did
good service in preparing the Buckeye"
State for the war.
At the outbreak of the rebellion he was
appointed colonel of the Forty second Regi-
ment of Ohio Volunteers, and he had no
sooner reported for service to General Don
Carlos Buell., in Kentucky, than he was as
signed to the command of the Eighteenth
Brigade, and ordered to attack General
Humphrey Marshall who. with 5000 Con-
federates, was posted at Sandy Valley, in
the eastern part of the State. On the 10th
of January, 1862 he forced Marshall to de
liver battle at Prestonburg, defeated him
signaly and obliged him to retreat into
Virginia. For this gallant action he was
made brigader, and was accorded high
praise by General Buell., who observed in
his report that this civilian colonel, who
had never smelt gunpowder, soundly
whipped the leader of the gallant charge at
Buena VISTA
While in the army General Garfield was
elected to Congress to succeed Mr.. Giddings
from the Western reserve of Ohio, and he
has been regularly re- elected to each succeed
ing Congress. General Garfield took lead
ing position in the House at the very outset
of his Congressional career, and, by degrees,
increased his influence until he came at last
to be recognized as the leader of the Repub-
licar side of that body. In 1877 Gen. Gar
field was the Republican candidate for the
Speakership, but the Democrats were largely
in the majority, and Mr.. Randall was elect
ed over him. In the early part of the same
year he had been candidate for the seat in
the Senate made vacant by Mr.. Sherman's
entrance into the Cabinet. He withdrew
from the contest, however, at the special
request of President Hayes, who assured
him that he could be of more service to the
administration of the country as member
of fha Houcp If also r11rnnrnG that tho
President held out to him the hope that he
could be elected Speaker of the House, but
that report presumed an ignorance of the
political situation too profound to be enter
tanned by such experienced politicians as
Garfield and Hayes. In 1878, when the
Democrats controlled the Legislature, Gen.
eral Garfield was a candidate for the COM
vote of the Republican members
for Senator, but after protracted and bit
ter contest in the caucus, his name was
withdrawn, and it was resolved to cast only
blank votes in the two Houses. In January
of this year, the Republicans having mean.
General Garfield again became candidate
for seat in the Senate for the term begin
ming March a, 1881, when Mr.. Thurman's
ends. Ex-senator Stanley Matthews, ex-
Attorney General Alphonso Taft and ex-
Governor William Denison had also entered
into canvass for the place, but by the
time the caucus met the general sentiment
of the State was so earnest and enthusiastic
in favor of Garfield that his three competi-
tors withdrew without waiting for ballot
and he was nominated unanimously by a
rising vote, and week later was elected
United States Senator by % majority in The
Assembly and majority in the Senate.
Chester A. Arthur, the candidate for Vice
President, although unknown as national
politician, has for some years been prom
inent i'll New York city. He is a native of
that city, and is well educated man, hav.
ing been bred to the law, and for years was
a partner of Mr.. Benjamin K. Phelps, for
merly district attorney. He is warm
friend of Senator Conkling, at whose in
stance he was appointed collector of the
port to succeed Mr.. Thomas Murphy, in
1871, by General Grant. In 1875 he was
but President Hayes took |
dislike to him and, against the protests of
most of the leading merchants, removed
him from Office. Senator Conkling endeav-
ored to protect his friend and, in doing SO,
brought his case into national notoriety. |
After he was ousted General Arthur quietly |
tl,o Of bic r,rnfocci0n hr,t |
never tagged in his duty as partizan. He
took part in the convass last Fall, and did !
good work for his party, helping greatly to
carry the State for the Republican ticket.
He redeemed it from Democratic rule, and
he will take it out of the list of doubtful