The Columbus journal., 1880-06-23

during his first term. They thought
him something of a pedant because
he sometimes showed his scholar
ship in his speeches, and they were
Jealous of his prominence. His solid
attainments and able social qualities
enabled him TO overcome this pref
udice during his second term, and
he became on terms of close friend
ship with the best men in both
houses. His committee service du-
ring his second term was on the
ways and means, which was quite
to his liking, for it gave him an OPP
portunity to prosecute the studies
in finance and political economy
which he had always felt a fondness
for. He was a hard worker and a
great reader in those days, going
home with his arms full of books
from the congressional library and
sitting up late nights to read them.
1t was then that he laid the founda-
tions of the convictions on the SUBJ
ject of national finance which he has
since held to firmly amid all the
storms of political agitation. He
was renominated in 1864, without
opposition, but in 1866 Mr.. Hutch
ins, whom he had supplanted, made
an effort to defeat him. Hutchins
canvassed the district thoroughly,
but the convention nominated Gar
field by reclamation. He has had
no opposition since in his own par
ty. In 1872 the liberals and demo-
Gratis united to beat him, but his
majority was larger than ever In
1874 the greenbackers and demo-
Gratis combined and put up a popular
soldier against him, but they made
no impression or the result. The
Ashtabula district, as it is generally
called, is the most faithful to its
representatives of any in the north.
Ii has had but four members in half
a century.
HIS WORK IN CONGRESS-.
In the fortieth congress Gen. Gar
field was chairman of the committee
on military affairs. In the forty
first he was given the Craftsmanship
of banking and currency, which he
liked much better, because it was
i'm the line of his financial studies.
His next promotion was to the
Craftsmanship of the appropriations
committee, which he held until the
democrats came into power in the
house in 1875. His chief work on
that committee was a steady and
judicious reduction of the expenses
of the government. In all the po-
litical struggles in congress he has
borne a leading part, his clear, Wig
orous and moderate style of argu-
ment making him one of the most
effective debaters i'm either house.
When James G.. Blaine went to
the senate in 1877 the mantle of re-
publican leadership in the house
was by common consent placed on
Garfield, and he has worn it ever
since. In January last Gen. Garfield
was elected to the senate to the seat
which will be vacated by Allen G.
Thurman on the 4th of March, 1881.
He received the unanimous vote OF
the republican caucus, an honor
never given to any man of any par
ty i'm the state of Ohio. Since his
election he has been the recipient of
many complimentary manifestations
in Washington and in Ohio.
GARFIELD AS A LEADER.
AS a leader in the house he is
more cautious and less dashing than
Blaine, and his judicial turn of mind
makes him too prone to look for
two sides of a question for him to
be an efficient partisan. When the
issue fairly touches his convictions,
however, he becomes thoroughly
aroused and strikes tremendous
blows. Blaine's tactics were to con-
tinually harass the enemy by sharp
shooting surprises and picket firing.
Garfield waits for an opportunity to
deliver a pitched battle, and his
generalship is shown to best advan-
tage when the fight is a fair one and
waged on grounds where each par
ty think itself strongest. Then his
solid shot of argument are exceed
ingly effective. On the stump Gar
field is n of the very best orators
in the republican party. He has a
good voice, an air of evident SINGER
ity, great c~learness and vigor of
statement, and a way of knitting his
arguments together so as to make a
speech deepen its impression on the
mind of the hearer until the climax
is reached.
OF his industry and studious hab-
its a great deal might be said, but a
single illustration will have to
suffice here. Once during the
busiest part of a very busy session
at Washington l found him in his
library, behind a big barricade of
books. This was no unusual sight,
but when l glanced at the volumes
| saw that they were all different