Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-08-05
Judge Houck, of Tennessee, on
the Candidates.
A Southern Republicans Dis
interested Discourse.
Judge George w. McCrary to the
Fore,
4 High Tribute to GarfieId's Thorough
knowledge and Pure Character
miscellaneous Points &c.

by Judge Houck, formerly member of
congress from that district:
But what of the candidates? Who are
they, comparatively? Who is Garfield? :?
And who is Hancock? | would like to
speak of Arthur and English, but time will
hardly permit me to say that Euglish is
only distinguished by his copperhead con-
nection with the Knights of the Golden
Circle during the war, and the wealthy
banker who gave all of 81 to relieve the
sufferers from the great Chicago fire.
But of Gen., Garfield | scarcely know
what to say first. He is so big, so good,
and SO great in every character he has
been called upon to act that [ am fully con-
scious of my utter incapacity to do the
matter of his life and public service JUS
tice.
If you know him as | do you would
know that he deserves more than | am
capable of saying for him. [ speak the
united voice of his congressional associates
when | say he is worthy of and fully merits
more than my use of terms will enable me
to say for him. After sitting by his side
every day for nearly twelve months, can
truthfully say that he is worthy as man,
finished as scholar, accomplished as a
gentleman, eloquent as an orator, grand as
a leader, and capable as statesman He
is kind, sympathetic, obliging, and pains
taking in doing good. OF long legislative
experience himself he appreciates the in
experience of others, and is ever ready to
give counsel, impart information, land lend
such advice to his juniors as may be useful
to them in the prosecution of their duties
A hard student himself, he advises it in
others. He is generous to a fault, and as
| 4 woman
His personal character is as pure as his
public character is great He is an ex-
ample in morals. and Christian man in
the very best sense of the term.
But who and what is Gen. Garfield as
public man? Let us examine and answer
this double question by instituting a COM
parison. About half century ago two
boys present themselves to our mental vis-
| ion. One of them is a Pennsylvania; the
other lives up near Lake Erie, in the state
of Ohio. One is few years the senior Of
the other. They are both ambitious. OF
the one we know nothing of his circum-
stances, except the simple fact that his
father belonged to the well-tO-do class of
his day. This one had the good fortune 10
find favor with the government. He was
selected as a proper person to receive the
| bounty of the government through an edu-
| cation at "West Point" The government
thus took him by the hand and let him
through her schools, and gave him an edu-
cation and made him a soldier. And in
thus entering the militrry academy Gen
Hancock plighted his honor when boy
that, in consideration of the bounty of the
government, he would aid in fighting its
battles and maintaining the supremacy of
the flag. So when the war of the rebellion
came, in the days of his manhood, he only
fulfilled the obligations imposed by honor
when a youth, and which had then ripened
into legal duty based upon valuable
pecuniary consideration.
1t is fact admitted by all men that,
whenever and wherever the democrats
have the power, they elect men to office
because of their service to the cause of the
rebellion. They have practiced it here in
Tennessee. from the highest to the lowest
offices in the state. Cries of ''That's SO!
That's SOP There is not district in the
state where the rebel sentiment was in the
majority that it has not been used to put
rebel democrats in office. This holds good
as to the state at large, as to the legislative
and congressional districts, and as to the
county offices. No Union man or Union
soldier has been recognized bv the demo-
cracy in any county, district or state where
the rebel democracy has the power
And no candid man will or can deny the
fact that if the democracy believed they
had the same chance to elect rebel brig
adler that they believed they had to elect
Hancock, the rebel brigadier would have
been nominated, and Hancock left to use
his uniform as regular army officer, in
stead of bringing it to the front to ward off
is not a democrat in the south cheeky"
~ Ja,1r I,1+ hot II oponfoy, or or
ris. or some distinguished rebel would have
been nominated if it had been thought
possible to elect him.
| warn you to take warning before it IS
too late! Beware before the Phillistines
are upon you Keep the enemies of the
Union out of power while you can. Re-
tain the government in loyal hands. APP
plause. And, before attempting TO do
this bv electing Garfield, permit me TO
make few observations In regard to
military man for president. Now, | have
no objection to the man who has had mill
| tary experience becoming president of the
United States, provided he has had the
civil experience Of American citizenship
necessary to give him a correct conception
of the duties of a civil magistrate. APP
plause.
am not alarmed about the danger of
military dictator But this ] will say:
There is a very great risk to run in taking
man for president like Gen. Hancock
whose life has been spent in the tread
mill' duties of issuing and obeying orders
under the red tape" process of "a West
Point education" and "a regular army"
experience This risk will not be so great
| because of the danger of a military despot-
ism as it will on account of blunders likely
to be made as a civil ruler because of the
want of that experience which breeds such
necessary knowledge. Our democratic
friends have declared for many years past
that the republican party was about to
wreck the liberties ofthe people by choos-
ing military man for president; and that
too, when the republicans have never
taken. or opposed to take, man their
candidate who had spent his whole life in
the regular army. While I am not alarm
ed,-for | tell yoU Hancock, a regular
army General, cannot compete with Gar
field, the volunteer General will say
that, if a military despotism is ever at
tempted in this country, it will be by the
Vaccinations of some man who has only 4
military education and only military ex
perience. Applause, and cries of That's
SO y Hit 'em again p and the like.