Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-07-07
GARFIELD'S CAREER.

In talking with Gov. Foster of Ohio
Friday night last, President Garfield ex-
pressed some solicitude relative to his
business prospects when he had complet-
ed his term of office. 1t is to his credit
that he is to-day not only comparatively
but literally poor. Probably twenty thou
sand dollars would cover all his worldly
possessions when he entered the White
House. He built comfortable but I'M
pretentious residence in Washington and
borrowed the money, or a considerable
portion of it, to do So Both Gen. and
Mrs Garfield are plain, transformations
people and public life led them to desire
the comforts of home where there could
be some domestic retirement. They
did not entertain" in their Washing
ton home, because it was both foreign to
their tastes and income. If the President
should die, $25 900 life insurance pol
icy, which he had recently taken, will
supply more than he has accumulated In
over twenty years of public life.
These facts show something of the ma
ture of the man, and demonstrate that in
long public service he has not used his
position as source of personal gain. In
1s6O-61 he was president of an institute
at Hiram, Ohio, which had not then
reached the dignity of college.
Elected from this country village to the
State Senate, he had been in office but
three months when Fort Sumter was
fired upon. He was without military ex-
perience, but he had taken so prominent
a position in the legislature that Gov.
Dennison commissioned him as lieuten-
ant colonel of regiment which he was
to raise for the three months service, and
which he did raise very quickly. From
that dark day in April, 1861, until the
present he has been in public life, and
that his services have been devotedly
given is evidenced by the fact of his
present pecuniary position. 1t is in
marked contrast with the career of other
men (some not distant from Minnesota,
who at this particular crisis shall be
nameless.
1t was with view of serving the coun-
try, Independent of personal profit or
comfort, that he mapped out his Presi-
Dental policy. He hewed to the line
which he conscientiously believed to be
right. Had he been mere time-server,
seeking simply to drift with the cur
rent as did Mr.. Hayes, he would have
aroused no serious antagonism in his own
party. 1t was because he proposed to be
President in fact, as well as in name, that
he encountered hostility from his political
associates and began an administration
with more stormy prospects than any
since the days of Andrew Johnson.
The bullet of the assassin has ended all
this storm, in any event. If he dies the
end comes from his ceasing to exist.
If he lives, the kindly sympathy
which his attempted murder has
produced, will render any hostility to the
administration within the Republican
party futile, and no one will longer have
following sufficient to head a
revolt. The bullet of the assassin
will have counter effect
from the idea which pervaded the crazy
brain which sent it. Guiteau exclaimed,
"Arthur will be President and the party
will be united" If Arthur should be
President the result will be the reverse,
but if Garfield lives to continue his adj
min1stration the union of the party will
be complete. 1t may prove strange
Providence which enables a crazy assas-
sin to accomplish by his failure, what he
claims to have hoped to win by his
success.