National Republican., 1882-10-18

base mercerary, receiver Of bribcs, and
falsiiior, and who fawned upon him
like spaniel after he unexpe ctedly came
to be presidential nominee and Presi-
dent sometimes, however, then, threaten
ing to bite, persists in impudently push
ing himself forward on frequent occa-
sions as the political administrator and
sole custodian of the honor of the dead
President. Recently THE NATIONAL RE-
PUBLICAN made the following statements:
President Garfield assured General Malone of
his desire for coalition between the Republicans.
| aud Readjustcrs of Virginia. lie even went into
details with him as TO the est way to accomplish
| this. The plan he advocated was the one adopted.
| All This occurred between President Garfield and
| General Malone in the presence of the writer OF
| this article, There was perfect understanding be-
tween President Garfield and General Malone
that their Influence would be cxerted together in
| Virginia for the support OF the coalition move
ment
Again, during the winter after his election, and
weeks before his Inauguration, he was visited by
| senator J, D. Gamer, IL, Charles L. Smith, OF the
! Philadelphia Prtss; Frank A. Burr, Of the same,
and the editor of THE REPUBLICAN, and to them
| hc declared that he considered the statement of
General Malone on tie Virginia Gcbt question
"an honest document" upon the fgcls as therein
presented, the correctness of which he also said
lac did not doubt. Being informed that General
Malone would undoubtedly continue in the Senate
the fight hc was making in Virginia against the
BourLons, he said emphatcally that If that should
prove to be 50 lie should make no distinction
between him and hny other Administration Sena-
tor, We have stated that after the Inauguration
he agreed the mode of coalition as subsequently
followed.
To this, in an editorial headed "Gar-
field and Virginia." Mr.. Whitelaw Reid,
after coarse flourish, thus replies:
If Mr. GorhUm is to be believed, the late presl
dent was most eager 10 embrace Malone and his
| priucipCs-e pccially his scheme of laying the
| debt of Virginia by rcrudiaing GO per cent Of it.
| Fortunately for President Garfrld's memory, he
| had formal conversation with delegation of
| Virginia Rcpubl leans on the 18th Of June, 1881,
| about Il fortnight le!ore his assassination sum
mary of this conversation was made public at the
time with the Presidents approval, and some cx.
tracts from it are instructive and cdifying oday.
General Wickham was at the head of the deesa-
ton that called aud in answer to series of ques-
tions the general tenor of The Presidents remarks
was that his Administration not engaged in
the business of "bossing" State organizations,
aud that liberty Of action and full discretion
left Tor those who knew all the facts aud crcum-
stances of the local situation. Specifically, the
| President spoke thus:
IL wish to state two general propositions. First,
| that have been Republican all my life. Inever
voted the Wing or Democratic ticket; could have
voted, but never did until the birth of tic Repub
| l!can party; have been consistent Republican
ever since and, therefore, would not do anythin 6
in opposition to the best interests of the Republi
can party. Second, am positively and emphatic
ally opposed to any party or people rhose btltg
tCOitld miitdiC against The public 6th or credit. II
| was for Virginia Republicans TO decide whether
| this movement was Of the character indicated;
that is, tOhtther The RGddHser increment tUds tainted
| ViM rCpudiation II IL tCds, they ought not to sup
| port IT,"
Can any sane man discover in the
above alleged quotation from President
Garfield anything to contradict our
statements2 He is represented as saying
that the question as to whether the Re-
| adjuster movement was tainted with
Reputation or not was one to be de-
cided by the Virginia Republicans.
Well, the Virginia Republicans, in State
convention assembled August 10 of the
same year, decided that Readjusterism
was not "tainted with repudiation." A
very insignificant faction bolted the con-
vention, and were alluded to most con-
temptuously by the New York Tribune
which fully indorsed the coalition.
The interview of General Wickham,
with President Garfield of June II was
for the purpose ofsecuring an expression
against coalition. 1t failed of its object
The Tribune disingenuously quotes Gar.
fields polite evasion of the subject, and
then treats it as q contradiction of afIir-
native statements of ours. We have
named General Malone as witness to
the correctness of one of our statements,
and Senator Cameron, of Pennsylvania,
Charles L. Smith, and Frank A. Burr,
both of the Phi ladelphia Press, as wit
esses to the other. Now, we say to the
Tribune that during the Senate deadlock
President Garfield assured Republican
Senator'S who can be named, that he was
in full sympathy with the Malone move
ment, and requested them to so state to
General Malone, which they did. Why
does not Mr.. Reid find some authority on
which to contradict these plain asser-
tions? Our witnesses are ready, and
they embrace some of high character
and national reputation, besides those
we have named. Does he wish to haye it
understood that President Garfield was
guilty of double-dealing? The Tribune
says:
| Somehow there is n strange discrepancy between
| the authentic public words of the President and
the private assurances which he gave to Mr..
| Gorham.
We have quoted both. Where is the
discrepancy? 1t does not exist, even in
Mr.. Reid's imagination. 1t is only q
sickly shoot generated in his known con-
tempt for truth. The Tribune says "the
friends of the late President are quite
content to have Mr. Gorham slander and
defame him" This is refreshing impu-
dence from the cold-blooded author of
the following paragraph, which appeared
editorially in the New York Tribune of
February 10, 1873, after General Garfield
had appeared before the House committee
and poSitigely denied the charges against
him:
James A. Garfield, of Ohio, had ten shares; he
never paid a dollar; received $500, which, after
| the Investigation began, he was anxious to have
| considered a loan from ORkes Ames TO himself
These men tetrGyed The trust of the people, deceived
| their constituents, and by their evasions and
| FAIsEHooDs confessed the transactions to be dis
graceful.
These are the uords Of JVhitelaw Reid
uttered of and concerning JAMES A. GAR
FIELD. They were spoken after Garfield
| had made his whole defense, to which