, 1881-10-06

tlce tint they "lllttat KU." For Sumo ycnf9 |
to come tic Republican party will nominate
It's own candidatcs anil viii not submit 10
tlictntto,l from amy tlllartcr.
IT
GARFIELD TO HIs CLASSMATES.
by request wo reprnlluce tho following
pathetic s,'eccI of tile Into President, tleliy-
cretl o, tho occasion uf the college cluss re-
union IN his honor OIL tile night of Marcll .
Iast-tho hight before Ills inaugurnlipD:
CLASSMATES: In mo thnro IA something cx-
sys bsGfe "a sso ho III ht q isusa 5
loyc, mud mn sure is is reelected luck tn cnch
ono OF you from @ ~ lnsnost hoart: R For twensy-
nm i prvato citizen. lonlorrow snall be called
o1s daT wTt Vii ssrs Il ~ vii IL strke h%rd
know It, alld you will Kiiowit. Whatever lnny
happet, 70 ne II Tug future. sha!! IL tss! .t.t
@ he,'rts 81 Tic ciaas u Vi for tIeir npprayal cr
thnt whieh Is right. MID toe their Gharitnhlo
schargo Of ny public dutius. YU,, ,nny writa
down IL, yonr books now tie !hrYcst rereentNEn
or pl,'llrrs which you think shnlt 6o lkoty to
make, and yuu will bH eHre to iIAd ttl tho enl
thut hive rl,ale moro than you hnvu cnlcuIntcd
-.nnny !uoro; This ilonur cnnca TO mo ,,nsuuxiit
II day; nor hAso / 1t tonight. i,1ve no fccitnE
Ut olntlon in rlew Ut tue posltton nm e,lilc'l
npo to ~ twoqt thank q Ga wsrn slt to,E H.,
1t IL not 70 be. nnu will ~ forward to meet the
c9nr,' nv, VIII I'll tn jrantsoss n nty tm
communal. hope yau Will bo nb!a consclcn-
tosiy 70 y ,s nD', nu ~ ~. Wo ~, ~.
other elass-,noct,ng.
1t wns indeed II very pathetic spoech. lfo
must lnye reflected In how brief period Ut
tI,no llo Ind climbed the slippery ladder OF
fame to the very top-ohly twenty-five years!
13,,t s.rtf frr linn IN }7s, ,oI, I'm
theme which WIS uppern,ost In tho minds Of
his auditors. They thought 0f tho great
stri.lcs In learning, In craftsmanship, and In
fame, lgletle BY tho poor aud almost friend
less young man who stepped out Into tho
prnct!cal world will, them in 1S56-loss than
twenty-five years ago. But he thought OF
the heavy responsibilities resting upon lin
and Of tho dangers In tho way. lie looked
in tic eyes Of his classmates md saw tlla
light OF friendship alMt love. But ho realized.
a!as low powcress WIS the devotion of
those old, tried friends 10 clear Ills future
pathway Of Injustice. "Tonorrow shall be
called to now responsibilities, n.Ml OH tho
day utter tho worlds wratl, will strike. 1t
will strike hard l. know It aistl you
will know IT," 1t was lii this faet tilat
the patllos Of the reunion Of tla college,
class Of 80 consisted. Garfield knew
that lie was surrounded that night, OH the
eve Of his Inauguration rs President, by flst
fsicntls-friends who would atand by Him
firmly IN thorigl1t regardless Of consequences,
and hasten to cover such errors of Judgment
rs Ills future COURSE ,ulght disclose witt, tho
mantle of clnrity. And so, pleading for
charity because conscious OF Ills human fa,t-
billy and consequent need Of II, lle said:
"You may write down In your books now
the largest percantago OF bluntlors which
YOU think. shall be likely to mike, and you
will bo sure TO find In tho elld TINT have
| Mute moro tila,l you have cnlculnted-many
moro" How modest tho great ,nan was i'll
the presence Of those WHO knew best how he
Ind struggled to lit himself for tito lgl, lcs-
tiny which wis tllen nearing its tragic entl,
Wus ho uroud to statld thus cunspIc-
| uouyly at the Acatt OF his class,
ufter twenty-five years? Doubtless, hut
tho feeling of .prido Ind tingo
Of tho humility Of true greatness.
lln.l Ills ambition reached to tho Presidency
Doubtlpss, but II was not a win, fuyorIsl,
inhibition, 1t Ind mt o'erlenpetl ITSELF 1t
Ind not called to Its aid tho futIlo nrts Of tho
tlon,ugox: 1t Ind not descended to tho popr
tricks Of intrigue, Cayt3pltl could gay OIL
tI,e oyc of !,ts elevation to the first place !:
"rhts honor comes to mo unsouglt. Inuye1
had tllo Presidential feyer--not even for 4
,inv. nor hayo It tonight, l hnye no fcellnr
OF citation ln view OF tho posltlon atn oaled
unon tn lill.n What n commentary upo,l the
Intellectual struggles Ut the oyerambjtlous
6tntGsnlon a,,d politicians Of American Ills
| tnrv n ,no,,ut tho xtn,s nf tho tirona nf fIp