The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1881-04-07

the candidates of their first choice,
and concentrated their votes upon
General Garfield, and thus secured his
nomination. This was a disappoint-
ment and defeat to the Grant men.
The Convention, however, at once
nominated one of their prominent
leaders as the candidate for Vice Pres
ident. This was done in the spirit of
proper defererce to those who had
worked so earnestly but unsuccess-
fully for the nomination of General
Grant. 1t was wise thing to do.
During the campaign all the differ
ent sections Of the Republican party
and all their leaders-the 'stalwarts"
ane the conservatives, the Conkling
men and the anti-Conkling men, the
Blaine men and the Grant men, the
Independent Republicans, the earnest
advocates Of civil service reform, the
machine men" and those opposed to
the machine" and Gen. Grant him
self-gave to the candidates their cor
dill and thorough support. There
were no heads and there was no
sulking. Senator Conkling went into
the fl ght with his whole strength, and
SO did Senator Blaine. Gen. Grant,
though defeated before the corven-
ton, beat anything in his previous
history in the way of speech-making,
and, indeed, made some of the most
effective speeches in the whole cam
paign. Unity Of action is the single
watchword that was sounded all along
the line. It is by this unity that vic
tory was won. Without it the Re-
publican party would have been de-
feated This state could not have
been carried without the hearty sup
port of Senator Conkling and his
friends; and it equally could not have
been carried without the support Of
those who do not believe in Senator
Conkling. Republicans achieved a
grand victory by ignoring their minor
differences and acting together in a
common cause.
General Garfield was elected by a
united Republican party; not by a
faction or a part Of it, but by the
aoIole of it, and that, too, without any
previous planning on his own part or
special commitments to anybody. lie
there be, as there are, wings in the
party, then he owes his election to all
these wings. Good common sense and
party prudence dictate that, being
elected, he should, as President, recog-
nize the services and claims of all
sections of the party, and so far as his
selection Of Cabinet officers and the
making Of other higher appointments
are concerned, should distribute these
offices in a manner that will be best
adapted to conserve and promote the
general unity Of the party. The
President would be false, as well as
unwise, if he were to take any section
into his exclusive favor. So far as he
is party President at all land to g
certain extent he must be such), he
ought to be the President of the
a-Lole party, without excluding the
proper recognition of any portion o1
#.
This, considering the selfishness o1
ofice-seekers, politicians, and party
leaders, is very difficult task to ac
complish; and yet, difficult though il
be, this is the task to which President
Garfield has addressed the exercise o4
his best Judgment. He has for month:
past been an attentive listener, with
out telling anybody, so far as WI
know, exactly what he himself
thought. His first act making prao
tical disclosure Of his thoughts WI
have in the selection of his Cabinet
and this selection, considered geograph
ically, and also in reference to th'
men selected, is distribution Of Cab
met honors that recognizes all parts o.
the country and gives to the diferen
sections of the Republican party ;
fair and proper consideration, while
securing able and competent men fo,
the service. Mr.. Blaine is in the Cab
met, for a very good reason. MIR
MacVeagh is there, for another equal
ly good reason. Mr.. James, Of thi
city, warm friend of Senator Conk
ling, is also there. The West is prop
erly represented, and the South has
representative in Mr.. Hunt. Tn!
President evidently endeavored to Sc
lect such Cabinet as would, on th'
whole, give satisfaction to the grea
body Of the Republican party. Th,
selection is a public notice thai h
proposes to be the President himself
not submitting to the dictation O
anybody, and that he is not going Il
run the Government in the special in
terests Of any clique of politicians
The President is right in taking this
position and we hope that he will sticl
to it.
We do not know all the reasons
which controlled the President il
nominating Judge Robertson, of this
state, as custom-house collector at this
port, and thereby displacing Genera
Merritt, who has conducted the serv
ice most admirably; nor do we affirm
as a matter of individual judgment
that this is wise. 1t is quite possible
that it would have been better in thi;
case to let we'll enough alone. b
this as it may, the President ha:
thought it expedient to make the
change, without any reflection upor
General Merritt, for whom he has
provided another honorable position
and the general judgment, including
an unanimous opinion Of the senate
Of this state, is that Judge Robertson
is admirably fitted to the duties of the
Office. He is not the man whom Sen.
ator Conkling would have named; yet
he is the man whom President Gar
field, looking over the whole field, has
seen fit to name, whose eminent abili-
ties are we'll known and whose public
record is without stain. We do moi
see any occasion for any furry, OF
hard words, or angry excitement
among any class of Republicans or
account Of this appointment. The
President has made the selection aftel