The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-06-17
THE REPUBLICAN, NOMINATION.

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strong presidential candidate to the
country, but the discussion of his fitness
for the position for which he has been so
unexpectedly and suddenly named, has
developed record which was made be-
fore our acquaintance with public affairs,
and certainly shows him to be anything
else than strong man for the position.
The charges against Gen. Garfield, as far
as developed, are three in number. The
first and least accusation is, that he
voted some years ago for what has been
known as the salary or back'pay grab,
by which the salaries of many positions
were increased, and among them the
salary of members of Congress was
raised from five thousand to seven thou.
sand FIVE hundred dollars, with the ex-
ceptionally bad feature of applying back
for two years, giving clear grab to each
member of Congress of five thousand
dollars, for which he had rendered no
service, and to which be was not entitled.
Most members of Congress realized the
extent of public indignation, and either
returned their five thousand to the treas.
ury, or gave it to benevolent objects
among their constituents. Garfield,
however, voted for the bill, and acting
up to the true Republican party princi-
Piles, took the money. This Of itself
ought to defeat him for the presidency,
but more is yet to be told of his thrift
in amaseing money while in Office.
The second allegation against him is,
that he was one of the members impli-
Gated in the celebrated Credit Mo6ilier
frauds in 1S72-73, where certain inauen-
tial members of Congress were paid
stock in the Southern Pacific Railroad,
in order to get their influence for the
passage Of a bill giving government
lands to the railroad, and endorsing their
bonds. Mr.. Garfield is said to. have re-
ceived two thousand dollars in the stock
of this concern, and to have received
three hundred and ninety dollars in divi-
dends on it. The scandal got out, and
was Investigated by Republican COM
mittee of the House of Representatives,
before whom Garfield swore he had never
received any stock or other consideration
from the company in any way whatever.
Oakes Ames, who was managing the
lob, swore that Garfield got the .tock and
money as above stated, and produced the
calculation of the dividends on the
stock made in Garfeld's own hand
writing. He said that Garfield had
wanted him to swear that the money
paid him was only loan, but that such
was not the case, he having made it as
direct payment on the stock. Thus this
grave charge of bribery and perjury is
broadly and defantly made by the New
York San and other papers against the
man the Republicans seek to elect Presi-
dent of the United States.
The third allegation against Gen. Gar.
field is, that ms chairman of the commit
tee ON appropriations in the House of
Representatives, in 1873, he received five
thousand dollars to procure an appropria-
ton from the government for paving the
streets of Washington. Boss sheppard's
ring was then in its glory, and was re-
ceiving and spending millions of dollars
in improving the city Of Washington
ostensibly, but really making way with
large sums among themselves. A man
named De Golyer wanted a slice of the
nice pie that was going so freely, and
sought the contract for putting down a
certain pavement, which he got at some.
thing over million dollars. The pave.
ment afterwards proved worthless. Gar
fields friends claim that this FIVE thou
sand dollars was paid him as counsel
fee for De Golyer for professional SER
vices rendered in getting the board of
public works to give him the contract.
The unfortunate part of the business for
MI. Garfield is, that he never made any
argument before the board of public
works OF any one else on this contract,
and there is no conception as TO what
those services could have been. Even if
he had been regularly employed as an
attorney, it would have been corrupt
transaction, for the appropriation had to
be passed on by his committee, and there
is no rule ofpropriety which could justify
him in acting as an attorney in this mat
ter. The whole of it is, that the five
thousand dollars seems to have been a
bribe to him as chairman of the commit
tee on appropriations.
This is the record of Garfield, and
upon it the Republican party stands
The nomination is in consequence of
these charges weak and fatal one. 1t
has created no enthusiasm, and is not
likely to arouse any. With reasonably
good nomination at Cincinnati, the Dem.
ocrats can easily carry the coming cleo
ton.
| TIE REAL NATURE OF THF CONTEST
The following letter from Montgomery
Blair, which has just been published, fol
insolence and perversion exceeds any
production lately given to the public:
To the Editor Of the Sun-SIR: Presi.