Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1880-06-29
The Republican Dilemma.

The Republican Dilemma.
The Wilmington, Delaware, Every
Evening says that, ''since the Credit
and De Golyer scandals have
been Illuminated so wildly by the De.
mocratic and independent press it has
been suggested that Mr.. Garfield should
either withdraw from the ticket or else
that the Republican National Commit
tee should declare his nomination null
and proceed in whatever manner it
could to meet the emergency thus
thrown upon the party by the grave
charges agaist its nominee. We do not
know what the powers of the National
Committee in such case would be, but
at first sight it appears to us that it
would have no right to act upon any
such suggestion as that made, and if it
should act would have no power to
make that action effective. Any change
in the candidate now, not based on the
voluntary retirement of Mr.. Garfield,
would undoubtedly result in fatal split
in the party, and bring about a worse
defeat than that which it would be the
object of change to avoid. But how
the Republican party will deal with
such serious problem, if the course of
events shall render its consideration
necessity, is question for it alone. 1t
has nominated its candidate, and if it
now finds that its candidate does not
suit it, it must do as everybody else who
makes bad bargain does-repudlate
the bargain if it can do so with safety,
or else "grin and bear it" and fight for
a success which if won will secure to it
the material if not the moral fruits of
victory.
Of course it will strike many good
Republican as the sheerest nonsense for
his party to think of such thing as
choosing another candidate in place of
Mr.. Garfield at this time of the day,
and we agree with all who hold to that
opinion, but it cannot be denied that
there is strong though quiet feeling
within the party that grave mistake
was made at Chicago and that an OPP
portunity to remedy that mistake would
be one of the choicest blessings that
could befall the party. So able and
well-informed journal as the Roches-
ter Herald says that it begins to look
very much as though the ticket would
not be able to hold together through the
campaign, and it declares that in view
of the damaging exposure of General
Garfield's record "many thoughtful Re-
publicans are already inquiring wheth-
er their party can carry the load
through this campaign" The Herald
expresses the opinion that in the plain
facts of General Garfield's record there
is enough to sink the ticket beyond re-
demption in a very few weeks unless a
satisfactory explanation is given, and
this view it believes is reflection of the
secret thoughts of many of the most ex.
perienced and discerning Republican
leaders of the country.
The Herald quotes as evidence of the
damaging nature of Mr.. Garfeld's re-
cord the decision of the court in one Of
the suits growing out of the De Golyel
| contract, which distinctly declares that
"the said plaintiff and said Garfield
and said board of public works then
we'll knew that it was not the argu-
ments of said Garfield as lawyer, but
his influence as a member of Congress
having power over the appropriations
to be made, that the plaintiff had
sought and obtained and paid for, and
therefore the contract was illegal
against public policy and void"
Nevertheless we do not believe that
General Garfield will be even asked to
withdraw much less forcibly displaced
from the head of the Republican ticket
Even admitting the worst construction
that can possibly be put upon his con.
nection with the Credit Mobilier and
De Golyer jobs, and allowing all the
charges against him to stand as though
proven to everyone, still the Republican
party must stand by its candidate, sim
Eply because it dare not aggravate the
blunder made at Chicago, if blunder il
was, by an attempt to commit the folly
of swapping horses in the middle of such
a dangerous political stream as that in
which it is now struggling"