The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-02-23
TRUTH SHAPING HISTORY.


in an interview with a reporter ex-
presses the opinion that the Re-
publican party is more nearly
united at this time than it has been
for years before. Regarding the
Garfield part of the administration
Mr.. McCullagh very properly says
that the time has not come for fair
judgment of General Garfield on
his merits as president, for the
matter and the manner of his death
are still too fresh in the public mind
to displace popular sympathy by
candid criticism. Touching the
treatment Of Mr.. Conkling, Mr.. Nee.
saws:
While was travelling in the east
in the summer of 1880, saw in the
papers a great many statements pre-
tending to be authentic to the
effect that when Garfield was elected
the Grant men would be compelled
TO take back seats. On my way
home [ called on General Garfield
at Mentor, and had a private talk
with him. | had with me II number
of papers with this statement in
them. One or two of them were
published in Ohio, and pretended TO
sneak for Governor Foster. Said ]
to the general, IL don't think this is
going to do the party any good.
The grant men were beaten at Chi
cago and they know it. They went
into the fight to win and they lost.
They don't expect to occupy the
boxes, but s t6sE woSSld pSsh tad hn iHnto
the back seats or crowded
into the top galleries they
will stay through the circus,
but after that they will do heap of
kickingIf they don't get good treat
ment." Genearl Garfield laughed
aud said he did not know exactly
what | meant. / explained to him
at some length the animus which
seemed to dictate these attacks,
which were mainly directed against
Grant and Conkling, and wound up
by saying that we did not propose
to have it regarded as penitentiary
otfense to have supported Grant at
Chicago or to regard Conkling as
one of the accredited leaders OF the
Republican party. The general
looked at me for a moment, rose
from his seat, put his hands on my
shoulder and said: my dear fell
low, you don't know me ii you think
that with my consent the services of
Grant or Conkling eau ever he for
gotten or ignored by the Republi, an
party. know these men well; l
know what they have dnne, and |
know that if l am elected l will
owe as much to them as to any two
men ia America"
How significant this is of Mr..
Garfield, as he has been estimated
by the STATESMAN. "My dear fell
low" as uttered by him, had an in
sincere tone, and subsequent events
proved it. Mr.. Garfield did owe
more to Conkling and Grant IN his
election than to anybody else in the
United States. General Hancock's
election was foregOne conclusion
until the two stalwarts gave in
their adhesion to his nomina-
ton, and had they continued
Ia their passive course Garfield
would never have been presi-
dent. To refuse at any time to
recognize their support with acts OF
gratitude was unwise as well as in
sincere, and a providence appears
to have shaped results therefrom.
Be this as 1t may, truth at last APP
pears to begin to take hold of
Garfield history, and more than one
shining light among Republicans
places the same estimate upon the
presidential career of Mr.. Garfield
as was long ago placed upon
it by the STATESMAN. Mr.. McC.
seems to understand Mr..
Blaine rs we'll as Mr.. Garfield,
for he says of him:
Blaine never formed a disinter-
ested friendship in his life. AS
public man he has been ION the
make" In his whole career. He has
advanced from u poor-house to
palace out of the savings of "a salary
which never paid his expenses. As
to his Friendship" for Garfield,
know this, that after the Chicago
nomination a Missouri Democratic
member of congress said to him,
laughingly, that he was looking for
some documents to vindicate Cen
eral Garfield as to the Credit Mo-
bilier and De Goiyer matters.
Blaine smiled and said: awe been
looking for something OF that kind
my self, but can't find it."
was "hell-bent' for Blaine III
1876. But he was defeated then on
a record suddenly sprung on him
and about which his supporters
knew nothing when they went into
the fight. That record was drawn
on him by Murat Halstead, Joe Me-
dill and others, and it beat HIM.
The very first thing he did after his
defeat was to invite his accusers to
"a friendly pow-wow. Imade up my
mind then that u man who would
make overtures to people who had
not only called him a rascal, but
proved him to be one, ought not to
be president.
AS to the reputation Blaine made
out of his bout with Ben Hill, the
editor says:
file made a temporary reputation
out OF that. He walked down the
aisle of the house and shook his fist
at Mr.. Hill, but girl with baby in
her arms did the same thing soon
after, and yet nobody ever thought
of nominating her for president.
The interview continues as fol-
lows:
Reporter-What do You think of
Mr.. Blaine's foreign policy?
Mr.. McCullagh-lt ought to be
good for two years in the peniten-
tiary tor every hour in the state de-
partment. 1t might be described as
the lingo policy-with money in it,
The "jingo policy" is what they
called Lord Beaconsfield's English
ideas, but Blaine added jobbery to
il and wanted the American eagle
to put money in his purse while he
was making his fights across the con-
tinent. James always has an eye to
the main chance.
Reporter-Then you don't think (
the Garfield administration would |
have been successful!
Mr.. McCullagh-Ii the Garfield |
\ n