The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-09-30


| champion grew careless Of the arts Of poll
tics towards the end Of his career. and Cams
to look upon . nomination and fe-eleott0n
as matter Of course. His 0verc0nfdenc(
was taken advantage of in 1858 by an ambi-
tious lawyer named Hutchins to carry con-
vention against him. The friends Of Gid
dings never forgave Hutchins. and cast
about for means OF defeating him. The
old man himself was comfortably quartered
in his Consulate at Montreal, and did moi
care to make a fight to get back to Con-
gress. So his supporters made use OF the
| while he was in the field without asking his
consent. That was in 1862 When he heard
| of the nomination Garfield reflected that il
would be fifteen months before the Con-
| gress would meet to. which he would be
elected, and believing. as did every one
else, that the war could not possibly last q
year longer, concluded to accept He often
expressed regret that he did not help fight
the war through, and said that he never
would have left the army to go to Congress
had he fOreseen thatthe struggle would con.
tinue beyond the year 1863. He continued
his military service up to the time Congress
met.
On entering Congress, in December, 1868,
General Garfield was placed upon the Com.
mittee on Military Affairs with Schenck and
Farnsworth, who were also fresh from the
field. He took an active part in the debates
| of the House, and won a recognition which
| few new members succeed in gaining. He
was not popular among his ow-members
during his first term. They thought him
something of pedant because he sometimes
showed his scholarship in his speeches, and
they we're jealous of his prominence. His
solid attainments and able social qualities
enabled him to overcome thi, prejudice dur
ing his second term, and he became on terms
of close friendship with the best men in both
10 ri, ii, h %
second term was on the Ways ard Means,
which was quite to his taste, for 1t gave
him an opportunity to prosecute the studies
in finance and political economy which
he had always felt q fondness for.
He was a hard worker and = 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 subject Of
National finance which he has since held so
firmly amid all the storms Of political agita-
ton. He was renominated in 1864, without
opposition, but in 1866 Mr.. Hutchins, whom
he had supplanted, made an effort to defeat
him. Hutchins canvassed the district thor.
oughly, but the Convention nominated Gar
field by reclamation. He had no opposition
thereafter in his own party. The Ashtabula
District. as it is generally called, is the most
faithful to its Representatives of any in the
NORM. IL mas 0aQ Dut nVe members IN
half century.
In the Fortieth Congress General 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, be-
cause it was in the line of his financial
studies. His next promotion was to the
mittee, which he held until the Democrats
came into power in the House in 1879. His
chief work on that committee was steady
and judicious reduction of the expenses of
the Government.
In January, 1880, General Garfield was
elected to the Senate to the seat vacated
by Allen &. Thurman OIL the 4th OF
vote of the Republican caucus, an honor
never before given to any man of any party
in the State of Ohio.
OF his industry and studious habits great
deal might be said, but a single illustration
will have to suffice here. Once during the
ington a visitor found him in his library, be.
hind a big barricade of books. This was no
unusual sight. but when the visitor glanced
at the volume he saw that they were all diff.
ferent editions of Horace, or books relating
to that poet. ~ find that am Overworked
and need recreation" said the General.
"Now, my theory is that the best way to
put it at something quite outside of the or
binary line of its employment So am
resting by learning all the Congressional Lii.
brary can show ABOUT Horace and the vari-
GUS editions and translations of his poems."
The circumstances of General Gartield's
nomination for the Presidency at Chicago
are thus told by one of his many biOgra.
piers: There were some indications as the
thirtieth ballot progressed on Tuesday, June
8. that the lesser candidates were giving
way. The next ballot demonstrated that
the Grant lines could not be broken, and
the Blaine lines were ut this time wavering.
1t was apparent the Convention was on the
edge of break. The next ballot, which
was finished by half-past II, was without
exciting event. The close Of the thirty
fourth was marked with some excitement
growing out OF break to Garfield, Wlscon.
sin casting for him sixteen votes. This was
the beginning of the end. TO make up this
were drawn upon. When the result was
declared, General Garfield arose and adj
dressed the Chair. The Chairman inquired
for what purpose the gentleman rose.
':TO question of order, said Garfield.
"The gentleman will state it," said the
Chair.
81 challenge, said Mr.. Garfield, "the
tains votes for me. No IN IN has u right,
without the consent of the person voted
for, to have his name announced and voted
for in this Convention. Such consent l
have not given.o
This was oyerruled by the Chairman
amidst laughter against G-rlield, who had
made the point on the vote cast for him by
Wisconsin.
Then the thirty-tifth ballot was taken. 1t
was apparent that the Blaine men had
broken up. The ballot resulted As follows:
Grant, 3l3; Blaine, 257; Sherman, 80; Ed
munds, IL; Window, 3; Washburne, %;
Garfield, 80.
The thirty-sixth ballot was taken amidst
breathless excitement. 1t proved to be the
last. 1t resulted: Grant, 3J6; Blaine, AZ;
Sherman, 3; Washburne, g.; Garfield, 399.
The campaign that followed the nOmina.
ton of Garfield at Chicago and Hancock at
Cincinnati was holly contested. The first
doubtful State, Maine, was carried by
fusion OF Democrats and Greenbackers Sep.
TENDER Is, against the Republican candi-
dates; and it was believed for time that
the election of Hancock was assured. But
the Republicans rallied in Ohio and In
diana, and carried both those States OctO-
Der II. The election November resulted
in the choice of pa Garfield and Arthur
Electors, and 155 Hancock and English
Electors. The Electoral Colleges voted nc.
cordingly December 5. General Garfield
was declared elected by the two Houses of
CT in, int -