The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-09-22

|anfi slavery champion grew careless of
the arts Of politics towards the end oil
his career, and came to look a nomina1
zion and re election as q matter of course
His over.confdence was taken advanl
'fage Of in 1853 by an ambitious lawyer
named Hutchins to carry a convention
against him. The friends of GiddIngs
kever forgave Hutchins, and cast about
for means Of defeating him. The old
man himself was comfortably quartered
in his consulate at Montreal
and did not care to make fight 10 get
back 10 congress. So his supporters
made use Of the popularity of Gen. Gar
Held, and nominated HIM 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 10 which he would be
elected. and believing, as did every oneT
else, that the war could not possibly last
q year longer, concluded 10 accept. II
have often heard him express regret that
he did not help fight the war through,
and say that he would never have left
the army to go TO congress had he fore
seen that the struggle would CONTINUED
beyond the year 1868. He continued
his military service up to the time con-
gress met.
On entering congress, in December,
1868, General Garfield was placed uponI
the committee on military affairs, with
1Schenck and Farnsworth, who were al
30 fresh from the field. lie took AMI
active part in the debates Of the house,
and won q recognition which few newt
members succeed in gaining. He wasI
not popular among his fellow members
during his first term. They thought!
him something of a pedaDt because be-
sometimes showed his scholarship iDI
his speeches. and they were jeslous of
his prominence. His solid attainments'
and able social qualities enabled him tOI
overcome this prejudiee during his sec
Ond term and he became onI
terms of close friendship with
the best men in both houses
His committee service during
his second term was on the ways and
means, which was quite to his taste, for
10 gave him an opportunity to prosecute
his studies in finance and political econ
oIny, which he had always felt a fond
NESS for. He was hard worker and a
great reader in those days, going home
with his arm full Of books from the con-
gressional library, and sitting up late
nights to read them. 1t was then that
he laid the foundations Of the convictions
90 the subject of national finance, which,
he has since held TO firmly amid all the
storms of political agitation. He was
renominaie ed In 1854, without oppOsitiOnI
but in 1856 Mr.. Hutchins. whom he had
supplanted, made an effort TO defeat
him. Hutchins canvassed the district
thoroughly, but the convention nomi7
mated Garfield by acclammation. He
\. liz
party. In 1872 the Liberals and Demo
Gratis united to beat him, but his major
lily was larger than ever. In 1874 the
Greenbackers and Democrats combined
and put up a popular soldier against
him. The Ashtabula district, as il is
generally called, is the most faithful TO
It's representatives Of any in the north
IL 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 of
military affairs In the Forty-frst he
was given the Craftsmanship of banking
and currency, which he liked much bet
ter, because IL was in the line of his finan-
cial 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 govern
ment. In all the political struggles in
Congress he has borne a leading part,
his clear, vigorous and moderate style OF
argument making him one Of the most
effective debaters in either house.
When James G. Blaine went to the
senate in 1877 the mantle of Republi.
can leadership in the house was, by com
mon consent, placed upon Garfield, and
he continued to wear il until he was
elected to the senate to 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 party in
the state of Ohio.
GARFIELD AS A LEADER.
AS a leader in the house he WIS more
cautious and less dashing than Blaine
and his judicial turn of mind made hin
too prone TO look for two sides of Ques
zion for him TO be an efficient partisan
When the issue fairly touched his con
victions, however, he became thorough
by aroused and struck tremendous blows
Blaine's tactics were to continually ha
rass the enemy by sharp shooting, sur
prises and piclIetfring. Garfield waitet
for an opportunity to deliver q xtcheC
battle, and his generalship was s.. IN t.
\ the best advantage when the Agks WAS
fair one, and waged on grounds where
each party thought itself strongest
Then his solid shot of argument wert
\ exceedingly effective. On the. EtumJ
Garfield was one of the very best oFasor
4 in the Republican party. he had
good voice, an air of evident sincerity
great clearness and vigor of statement
together so as to make speech deeper
its impression on the mind of the heare
until the climax is reached. ga
Of his industry and studions habits
great deal might be said, but a singh
illustration will have to suffice here
Once during the busiest part of a yer,
q busy season at Washington, found hin
in his library, behind a big barricade O
g books. This was no unusual sight, bu
when l glanced at the volumes | saw
!: hat they were all different editions O
Horace, OF books relating to that poel
Il find l am overworked, and need recre
? atiOn," said the General. Now" m
theory is that the best way to rest tn
mind is not to let it he idle, but TO pu
. it ut something quite outside of the ord
6 nary line of its employment. So I an
resting by learning all the congressional
library can show about Horace and tn
various editions and translations of hi
poems"
GARFIELD AT HOME.
Gen. Garfield is the possessor of tw
: homes, and Els family migrates twice
year. Some ten years ago, finding hoy
s unsatisfactory life was in hotels an
e boarding houses, he bought lot o
a ground on the corner of Thirteenth an,
streets, in Washington, and with MOI
9 ey borrowed of friend, built a plai
substantial thTee-slory house. A win
I was extended aflerward TO make room
! for the fast growing library. Tn
: money was repaid in time, and was prot
ably saved in great part from what woul
2 otherwise have gone to landlords. tn
children grew up in pleasant home SUI
g roundings, and the house became a Ger
5 ter of much SIMPLE and cordial hospi
u ality. Five or six years ago the littl
] cottage at Hiram was sold, and for
q time the only residence the Garfield
e had in his district was summer-hous
y he built on Little Mountain, bold elt
n walton in Lake county, which command
view of thirty miles of rich farmin
country stretched along the shore q
q Lake Erie. Three years ago he bough
I farm in Mentor, IN the same county
! lying on both sides of the Lake Shor
e and Michigan Southern railroad. Her
q his family sDend all the time when he L