National Republican., 1880-06-29
A rARrY OF CALUMNY.

Hon. JAMES A. GARFIELD, the purity and
integrity of whose life and character all
fair-minded men regard as without reproach
and above suspicion, the democratic press
began its campaign of calumny. The
Christian Union truthfully observes that
"if Moses were to be nominated for the
presidency there are papers which would
"bring up the charge that he murdered an
Egyptian aud ran off with the Egyptian
woman's jewelry."
AS matter of fact, from the moment
when the democratic party recovered self
possession after the cataclysm of blood that
deluged the country through their efforts
to destroy the union, the role to be enacted
by that party has obviously been scandal
hunting and pharisaic exposures. To be
"weak is miserable, doing or suffering !"
but no one need be weak who has vitupe-
rative tongue, fertile imagination, and a
microscopic power of mental vision. So far
from its being their natures plague" as
it was lagos, to spy into abuses" the
exercise of that faculty is at once source
of exquisite delight and eventual profit to
that party. All that is wanted seems to be
n plentiful stock of rhetorical mire to fling,
and the whittier the robe and the broader
the phylactery, so much the more promis-
ing the prospect that some of the mud will
stick and the fairest character suffer out
side defilement.
1t is not worth while TO inquire how far
the stories of corruption and iobbery laid
to the charge of republicans are baseless or
falsely colored for party purposes. The Credit
Mobiler, DEGOIYER and other trumpery
mares nests turned up by industrious SLAM
derers, aided by generous appropriations,
form but a necessary complement of the set
tied policy adopted by the democratic party
the strategyofabuse, slander, suspicion and
vilifcation. One advantage may accrue tc
the country even from those ISLANDERS not
contemplated by that party. The more in
telligent Of the people are already learning
to sit loose to and look with awakening
suspicion on party organization whose
stock in trade is exclusively made up o
the alleged sins and shortcomings of polit.
ical opponents. Stand aside, for l an
"holier than thou" is Il very suspicious ex:
clamation for party out of power, the dis
tinctive principle of whose political creed
has been publicly set forth in the aphorism
which they unblushingly established as ;
ruling law in respect to political contestant!
-"To the victors belong the spois.n
1t is the besetting sin of that party whel
in the pursuit of place or IN defense OF i
to see no good in the opposition. The diff
culties of the opposition have been yieweC
with magnifier while their errors hav
been treated microscopically. BuTLERs in
junction has always been oheyed in III
converse democrats are very blind to tn
virtues of their opponents, and eXtrcmel,
unkind to their faults. Their ruling pro
pensties are a want of scruple, Il want q
charity, a want of honest fairness, and,
must be emphatically added a want q
truth. The groundless accusations mad
from time 20 time, the warping and falsifi
cation of current history for dd cdptdnda,
purposes by the democratic party and pres
have a maligu influence which is taceabl
in growing disbelief that there is such
public virtue ~ integrity OF disintereste
patriotism. Peopleare being so accustomc
to hear the probity and honest inten
tions of their representatives impcacheC
that they are becoming predisposed TO cred
scandal, however baseless or monstrous
may be.
Against the molign influence of this sys
TEN every one who cherishes the lighe,
interests of his country, and feels enlSindle
by the brightest hopes Of its future is callc
upon to protest with generous Yehemenc
No greater calamity can belall people
promising national career than the preyr
Icncc of distrust regarding political Writ
or the settled habit Of suspicion which Il
slauder system cannot fail to infuse Nmol
them. As in all the varied relations Of OF
chequered life, so here, not less than els
where, it remains solemnly true that Il
loss of confidence carries with IL the loss
all that makes the relationship yauubl
1t is not at all unlikely that the democrat
party, in their eagerness to snatch ephem
raj triumph, are obliyious or needless
the consequences which must inevitab
follow the evil policy they have deliberate
espoused. Yet the grave responsible
they incur by persistiug in it cannot
shirl,ed or ignored, The policy that d
grades public life, saps popular faith
public men and makes public affairs q
pear TO sensitive men unsayory and {
fensivc must inevitably bring after it
own Nemesis to oyerlake and run It to Il
earth in the long run. A political par
must indeed have outlived its usefulne
when it can stoop to the malicious n
false slandor Of individual character
deed, it may be accepted as a complime
to the republican party that they have
other politics. capital to command,
y The democratic party are so stranded