The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-07-21

witness of all that transpired in that
memorable convention, and, when the
| crisis came, my chagrin at the defeat of
Mr.. Sherman was turned into joy, because
| the honor had come to Ohio after all, and
fallen upon one of the ablest, most illus
trious and eloquent men on this continent.
There is no occasion for me to repeat his
tory in your presence. The campaign that
| followed, with all its vituperation and per-
| sonal abuse of our candidate, is still fresh
| in your minds. The victorious result you
/ also remember.
The election of James A. Garfield to the
Presidency again made vacancy in the
| United States Senatorship. Another can
vass was made, with no grocery, using no
modern appliances. Just another confer
/ ence of the Republican members of the
General Assembly was held, and John
| Sherman was nominated by reclamation
And let me say here that do not think il
| was ever the pleausre or ever In the power
| of the members of any general assembly
before to cast their votes for two men SO
eminently fitted for the position. What a
bulwark of strength is our capable Sen
| atori In these last trying days, when we
have all been hourly fearing that the
shadow of death was lowering over ouI
beloved President, who has not thought and
been strengthened by the thought, that
let what would happen, Ohio is represented
| in the Senate of the United States by a
man who has never been found want
| ing, by statesman always able to meet
every emergency, with the rare faculty OF
doing the right thing at the right time
/ honest able level-headed John Sherman
| Nav he long live to honor the State and
party which, for quarter of a century, he
has served so WE'LL A giant among his
| fellows, occupying a seat in the ablest
body in the world, in which he has no
superiors and but few peersl A fit repre-
sentative of the State that bids fair to rival
old Virginia as the mother of Presidents
Long may he live and prosper" is the
/ wish of us all.
| While we expect no vacancies in the
United States Senate to be filled by the
next General Assembly, it will have awork
| to do of equal or greater importance. Ii
| must apportion the State into congressional
| districts, and on this apportionment may
\ depend the political complexion OF the
lower branch of Congress. The question
comes home to us all, "Shall we sit still
and allow, Ohio to go Democratic and give
the Democracy the power to gerrymandeI
the State, as it did only three short years
since: or shall wecontinue the Republican
party in power, and enable it honestly and
| fairly to apportion the State? This is one
of the vital political questions of this cam
paign, and one that ought to stir every
| Republican and make him do his whole
duty.
| A few words about the State Ticket
| When / went to Columbus had seen but
little of Governor Foster. l had noticed
what hold he had on his neighbors, and
| in what high regard he was held by those
who knew him best. My position as a
Senator, and especially as member of the
! Committee on Benevolent Institutions,
made it my duty to hold many consulta-
tions with him in reference to his appoint
ments Ny advice was not always accept
| ed, nor my recommendations approved,
| nor in some cases were appointments to
which / objected withdrawn; but in all
our discussions and conferences in refer
ence to these matters of public moment,
Gov. Foster was able to convince me that
he was trying to do his duty faithfully
and honestly as he understood it. l some
times went away disappointed because he
refused to do as l requested, but L always
had to admit that there was much force
in the reasons that he gave for disappoint-
| ing me- 1t is only necessary to see Gov.
Foster as the people call upon him to pay
their respects to the Chief Executive OF
the State, to understand why he has such
| a hold upon them. His hearty greetings,
his unassumed cordiality, his close sym
| pathy show at a glance that he is emphat
| icallysone of the people. He'was raised in
one of our western counties, where he grew
up known by all as plain Charley Foster. VI
| To-day, the Governor of the third State in
the Union, with wealth and the highest
social position, there is no man in this
great Commonwealth more easy of ap
proach. He is without particle of AFRO
gance or selfimportance, a true gentleman,
tenacious of his own opinions, but tolerant
| towards those who differ from him. Great
in many things, but especially great in his
faith in the common people; faith in their
ability to judge wisely and act correctly
when a crisis comes. This was illustrated
during the last campaign, after the news
| from Maine had so elated the Democracy
and depressed many Republicans. An inter.
view at that time with Charley Foster was
reassuring. His faith in the good sense OF
the people of his native State was such that
he said to discouraged Republicans; "Go
home and go to work. See to it that every
voter in Ohio has an opportunity to become
thoroughly posted as to the issues dividing
the parties, and, above all, don't lose youI
faith in their intelligence, in their patriot
ism, and in their ability to see through
the ISLANDERS and abuse of this campaign
| sTYou will hear" said he, "when Ohio
speaks in October, no uncertain sound
The result will be such as will make us
all glad" AS we look back and think ol
sequent events, almost prophetic. You
should have seen him again, at Washing
ton, at the time of the Inauguration, sur
| rounded, as he was in his room at the
Riggs House by his personal and political
friends, by men who expected he was tC
go into the new Cabinet. When the an
nouncement came, and they learned that he
was not among its members, they were
sadly disappointed, and, while their dis
1 inc n
censure the President for what they were
pleased 10 call his ingratitude, How dc
wish every Republican in Ohio, and
especially everyone who has expected
place and been disappointed, could have
seen him. 1t is easy for men to compli
ment those who bestow upon them what
they desire, but when one is just and fair
and true under disappointment, then 1t is
that the real stuff he is made of shows itself
As Governor Foster sat there among his
disappointed admirers, telling them that he
was no mushroom friend of Garfield; ex
planning to them that the President had
had difficult task to perform; that he had
surely done what seemed 10 him TO be right
and best; allowing no words of censure in
his presence; saying to all, Garfield shall
have no warmer supporter insidehis Cabi-
net than will be On the outside, and perhaps
1 can do him and his administration more
good outside than in; and if can that is
the place l wish 90 occupy" he exhibited
| the highest attributes of friendship and
| patriotism. There was willingness in
the man to think, first of all, of the public
good. You could see, al once, that the oou.
fidence Gen. Garfield had always put in this
trusted friend had not been misplaced. II
more of our public men would initiate
him in his unselfish work for others, in his
willingness TO labor for the good of the