Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-06-16
HIS WORK IN CONGRESS.

HIS WORK IN CONGRESS.
In the Fortieth Congress Gen. Gar
field was chairman of the Committee
on Military Affairs. In the Fortv-frst
he was given the craftsmanship of
banking and currency, which he liked
much better, because it was in the
line of his financial studies. His next
promotion was to the chairman 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 steady
and judicious reduction of the expenses
of the government. In all the political
struggles in Congress he has borne
leading part, his clear, vigorous and
moderate style of argument making
him one of the most effective deba-
ters in either House
When James g. Blaine went to the
Senate, in 1871, the mantle of Repub-
lican leadership in the House was by
common consent placed upon Garfield,
and he has worn it ever since. In JAN
uary 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 eau
Gus, an honor never given to any man
of any party in the State of Ohio.
Since his election he has been the re-
cipient of many complimentary mani
festations in Washington and in Ohio.
GARFIELD AS A LEADER
AS 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 par
tisan. When the issue fairly touches
his convictions, however, he becomes
thoroughly aroused and strikes tre-
mendous blows. Blaine's tactics were
to continually harass the enemy by
sharpshooting surprises and picket fir-
ing Garfield waits for an opportunity
to deliver a pitched battle, and his gen.
eralship is showed to best advantage
when the fight is fair one and waged
on grounds where each party thinks
itself strongest. Then his solid shots
of argument are exceedingly effective.
On the stump Garfield is one of the
very best orators in the Republican
party. He has good voice, an air of
evident sincerity, great clearness and
vigor of statement and way OF knit
ting his arguments together so as to
make speech deepen its impression on
the mind of the hearer until the eli
max is reached
OF his industry and studious habits
great deal might be said, but sim
gle illustration will have to suffice here
Once during the business part of
very busy session at Washington |
found him in his library, behind a big
barricade of books. This was no unus-
ual sight, but when glanced at the
voluuns / saw that they were all diff
ferent editions of Horace, or books re-
lating to that poet. ~ find that am
overworked, and need recreation"
said the General. "Now my theory is
that the best way to rest the mind is
not to let it be idle, but to put it at
something quiet outside of the ordi-
nary line of its employment. So ! am
resting by learning all the Congress
sional Library can show about Hor
ace and the various editions and trans
lation of his poem"
GARFIELD AT HOME.
Gen. Garfield is the possossor of two
homes, and his family migrates twice
year. Some ten years ago, finding
how unsatisfactory life was in hotels
and boarding houses, he bought lot
of ground on the corner of thirteenth
and streets in Washington, and with
money borrowed of friend built
plain, substantial three story house. A
wing was extended afterwards to make
room for the fast growing library. The
money was repaid in time, and was
probably saved ir great part from what
would otherwise have gone to land
lords. The children grew up in pleas
ant home surroundings, and the house
became centre of much simple and
cordial hospitality. Five or six years
ago the little cottage at Hiram was
sold, and for time the only residence
the Gar6elds had in his district was sum
mer house he had built on Little Noun
tain, bold elevation in Lake county,
which commands view of 30 miles of
rich farming country stretched along
the shore of Lake Erie. Three years
ago he bought a farm in Mentor, in
the same county, lying on both sides
of the Lake Shore and Michigan
Southern Railroad. Here his family
spent all the time when he is free from
his duties in Washington. The farm
house is a low, old fashioned, story
and-a-half building, but its limited ac-
commodations have been supplement
ed by numerous out buildings, one of
which Gen. Garfield uses for Office and
library purposes. Cleveland is only
twenty-five miles away, there is o
postoflice and a railway station within
town of Painsville is but five miles dis
tant One of the pleasures of the sum-
mer life on the Garfield farm is drive
of two miles through the woods to the
lake shore and bath in the breakers.
Gen. Garfield has five children liv-
ing, and has lost two, who died in in
fancy. The two older sons, Harry and
James, are now at school in New
Hampshire. Mary, or Molly as every
body calls her, is handsome, rosy
checked girl of about II. The two
younger boys are named Irwin and
Abram. The Generals mother is still
living and has long been member of
his family. She is an intelligent, ener-
getic old lady, with clear head and
a strong will, who keeps well posted
in the news of the day, and is very
proud of her sons career, though more
liberal of criticism than of praise.
Gen. Garfeld's district lies in the
extreme northeastern corner of Ohio,