River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-03-09

seemed Ike mere glance at the table
ofcontents. He was eminently
fair and candid man In debate, took no
petty advantage, stopped to no I'M
worthy methods, avoided personal sl-
lusions, rarely appealed TO prejudice,
did not seek to inhame passion. He
had a quicker eye for the strong point
of his adversary than for his weak
point, and on his own side he so mar
shaled his weighty arguments as to
make his hearers forget any possible
lack in the complete strength OF his po-
sition. He had habit of stating his
| opponents side with such amplitude OF
| '.uc-s and surh liberality of conces-
sion that his followers often complain
ed that he was giving his case away.
But never in his prolonged participa-
ton in the proceedings of the house
did he give his case away, or fail in the
Judgment of competent and impartial
listeners to gain the mastery.
These characteristics, which marked
Garfield as great debater, did not,
however, make him a great parlia-
mentary leader. A parliamentary
leader, as that term is understood
wherever free representative govern
ment exists, is necessary and very
strictly the organ of his party. For an
| achievement of that kind Garfield was
Observation-Disclosures by the texture
Of his mind, by the honesty of his
heart, by his conscience, and by every
| instinct and aspiration of his nature.
The three most distinguished il.
| mentary leaders hitherto develop,d in
this country are Mr.. Clay, Mr.. Douglas,
| Mr.. Thaddens Stevens. Each was Il
man of consummate ability, of great
earnestness, of intense personality,
differing widely, each from each other,
and yet with signal trait in common
the power to command.
From these three great men Garfield
differed radically, differed in the quail.
ty ofhs mind, in temperament, in the
form and phase of ambition. He could
not do what they did, but he could do
what they could not, and in the breadth
| of his Congressional work he left that
which will longer exert a potential in
fluence among men, and which, meas
uied by the severe test of posthumous
criticism, will secure q more enduring
and more enviable fame.
Garfield's nomination to the Presi-
| dency, while not predicted or anticipa-
| ted, was not surprise to the country.
His prominence in Congress, his solid
| qualities, his wide reputation, strength
ened by his then recent election as
Senator from Ohio, kept him in the
public eye as man occupying the very
highest rank among those entitled to be
called statesmen.
One aspect of his candidacy was I'M
precedented. Never before in the his
tory of partisan country, had success
full presidential candidate spoken freely
on passing events and current issues.
To attempt anything of the kind
seemed novel, rash, and even desper-
ate. The older class of voters recalled
the unfortunate Alabama letter, in
which Mr. Clay was supposed to have
signed his political death warrant.
They rem embered also the hot-tem-
pered effusion by which General Scott
lost large share of his popularity be-
fore his nomination, and the unfortu-
nate speeches which rapidly consumed
the remainder. The younger voters
had seen Mr.. Greeley in series of Wig.
orous and original addresses, preparing
the pathway for his own defeat. I'm
mindful of these warnings, unheeding
the advice of friends, Garfield spoke
| to large crowds as he journied to and
| from New York in August, to a great
multitude in that city, to delegations
and Populations of every kind that
| called at Mentor during the summer
and autumn. With innumerable
critics, watchful and eager to catch a
phrase that might be turned into odium
| and ridicule, or a sentence that might
be distorted to his own or his party's in
jury, Garfield did not trip or halt in
any of mis- seventy speeches. This seems
all the more remarkable when it is re-
membered that he did not write what
he said, and yet spoke with such logi-
cal consecutivenes of thought and such
admirable precision of phrase as to
defy the accident of misreport and the
malignity of misrepresentation.
In the beginning of his Presidential
life Garfield's experience did not yield
him pleasure or satisfaction. The du-
ties that engross so large a portion of
the Presidents time were distasteful to
him, and were unfavorably contrasted
with his legislative work. II have been
dealing all these years with ideas" he
| impatiently exclaimed one day, "and
here | am dealing only with persons. l
have been heretofore treating of the
fundam entail principles of government
and here I am considering all day
whether A or B shall be appointed 10
| this or that office" He was earnestly
seeking some practical way of correct
ing the evils arising from the distribu-
ton of overgrown and unwieldy patron
age-evils always appreciated and often
discussed by him. but whose magnitude
had been more deeply impressed up
on his mind since his accession to the
Presidency. Had he lived. a compre
| hensive improvement in the mode OF
| appointment and III the tenure OF Office
| would have been proposed by him, and.
with the aid of congress, 10 doubt per-
| fected.
But while many O. the Executive du-
ties were not grateful to him, he was
| assiduous and conscientious in their
discharge. From the very outset he
exhibited administrative talent of high
| order. He grasped the helm of Office
| with the hand of master. In this ri.
spect indeed he constantly surprised
many who were most intimately asso-
ciated with him in the government, and
especially those who feared he might
be lacking in the executive faculty.
His disposition of business was orderly
and rapid. His power of analysis, and
| his skill in classification, enabled him
to dispatch vast mass of detail with
singular promptness and ease. His
Cabinet meetings were admirably con-
Quoted. His clear presentation of
official subjects. his well considered sug-
gestion of topics on which discussion
was invited, his quick decision when
all had been heard, combined to show
thoroughness of mental training as
rare as his natural ability and his facile
adaptation to new and enlarged field
of labor.
With perfect comprehension of all
| the inheritances of the war. with q