National Republican., 1880-10-09
VISIT TO GEN. GARFIELD.
He Receives Battalion Of Young Re-
publican Voters.
A Cordial Welcome, and Speech In Which
Somo Wholesome Advice
Is Impaired.
General Garfield and the rlrs, Voters.


CLEVELAND Oct. S.-The First Voters, Gar.
field and Arthur battalion, of Cleveland, went
to Mentor this afternoon by special train of
six cars, and called Oh General Garfield ut his
Lawnheld home. The train stopped at the
farm, and the battalion, headed by q band,
marched to the residence, where Herman w.
Grannis, president of the organization, made
u brief culogistic address, to which General
Garfield responded thus:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN AND YoUSG GENTLEMES: THIS Is
| no ordinary event In the history of any man. IN
deed, In the history of any people, when, MS am
told, there are 400 young men here who have made
this journey. not for any personal purpose but to
express that great general, earnest purpose that
arises In the hearts Of active, intelligent young
men when they first grapplc with tho great qucS
tons Of their country. know of nothing quito
like this In our history. with all the pleasure ii
brings am bound to say 1t brings a little disen-
chanlment to mo In this Always to this tmo
have been accustomed to consider myself young
man. Laughter aud applause.l II before your
arrival anybody had raised the question should
have asserted with good deal of indignation, IL
anybody had denied 1t, that myself was young
man. But they tell mo you are to cast your first
national vote at presidential election. If that Is
| so, young man as am, voted before any of you
were born, Laughter and applGuse1 If you nro
young aud voters. borrowing the language of Rip
Van Winkle when he awOke from that long sleep
who In tine world am ~ Laughter and applause |
mnst have passed tho very flush Of youth at
least. But young gentlemen, l have not so far
left the coast of youth to travel inland but that
can very well remember tho state Of young man
hood from an experience In It OF some years, and
there Is nothing TO me In this world SO Inspiring as
the possibilities that lie locked up in the head and
tIat lie before him; the great aspirations above
him--all these things with the untried pathway Of
life opening up its difficulties and dangers, inspire
him to courage, to forco and 70 work IL Is spec
taclo that the very gods would look down upon IN
ancient Roman days with more than ordinary In
terest. tApplause.l Now let me say single word
.rt tNpp In In Lit,ItN
plimcnt oflyour coming to my house about some
Of the thoughts that | know get into the
hearts of young men, and inspire them, and some
deluslons that are likely to get into their minds
Let me speak of one deluson that think from
the remarks of your chairman you are not likely
to have. 1t Is delusion that affects all men more
or less, particularly the young men, the deluson
that good things and great things are some way or
yonder away abroad. That is one OF the dclusions
that hope you arc not living In Now. to illus
trate that: Where spent .ny childhood there is
| lovely little brook and Il gorge where we used to
| go down and find slate-Stones and whitle thom
ont Into pencils for ourselves, that were better
than all other pencils thatwe brought from abroad
But any boy over brought Into school what Is
not In any dictionary, but In the schoolboys die
| tonory, a "boughton" pencil he could get u whole
| handful of our homemade pencils for It, aud yet
every one of ours was better than the best that he
among us that outside of us, away from us, was
glory, was greatness. Now, as to our country let
us not get any such deluson into our heads.
know all about abroad. / know what 1t Is to on
large our minds by II. But | want you TO feel
in the depths of your heart that there Is no abroad
in all this world that Is half equal to the Qlory of
being all American here Mt home and to-day
[GreaC applausc Right hero In this yard Is a sple.
did specimen of American sovereignty the roof and
crown of this world OF sovereignty. Enlarge Il
into the million of men who vote and you hayo
the grand august sovereign of this last and best
born OF time. the American republic. lhppause !
Now that tho sovereign shall be unshackled for
yer; that that sovereign shall be un purchaSahlc
when he stands Mt the baotboX to order the
supreme will of the nation; that that sovereign
shall be unintlmidated by mortal man when he
utters that final omniilc word that com.
mnnds tho continent. That is the great pur-
pose that all true Americans should keep
in their minds. tGrcat applaisel When | see
here to-day, feel certain that II they could de-
ploy themselves as n ballot-box guard to defend
the purity ofthe American b0llot.box fappausel 4
TO stand around II AZ around the cradle OF our heir
apparent of American sovereignty, such guard
iaEs, such defenders, viii keep the republic pure
aud keep II free.
Young gentlemen your visit to mo gives mo n
compliment Of the highest sort, aud whio 1t dis
onchnnts me, as said II little while ago AZ sill
reaches the hand OF youth out to me- which take
with NIL cordality and earnestness, and for your
tondored support to me. which Is not for my sake,
but for the sake OF the cause of which am now
tho representative give you all the thanks of
which my heart Is capable.
The house is small, the farm Is small, the town.
ship Is small, the country Is o small one but all
there is in 1t to give of generosity and hospitality
and welcome-all that Is in my hands to giye--is
yours whllo you stay. Applause and checrs.l
bid you welcome to all there is Of us, gentlemen.