Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-03-08
NO.. Fl


in popular favor. He was met with
storm of detraction at the very hour of his
| nomination, and it continued with in
creasing volume and momentum until the
close of his victorious campaign.
One aspect Of Garfeld's candidacy was
unprecedented. Never before in the his
tory of partisan contests in this country
had a successful Presidential candidate
| spoken freely on passing events and cur
rent issues To attempt anything of the
| kind seemed novel, rash, and even des-
perate. The older class ofvoters recalled
the unfortunate Alabama letter in which
Mr.. Cay was supposed to have signed
his political deathwarrant. They re-
membered also the hot-tempered efusion
by which Gen. Scott lost large share of
his popularity before his nomination, and
the unfortunate speeches which rapidly
consumed the remainder. The younger
voters had seen Mr. Greely in a series of
vigorous and original addresses preparing
the pathway for his own defeat Unmind-
ful OF these warnings, unheeding the adj
vice of friends, Garfield spoke to large
crowds, as he journeyed to and from New
York in August, to great multitude in
that city, to delegations and deputations
of every kind that called at Mentor, dur
ing the summer and autumn With emu
merable critics watchful and eager to
catch phrase that might be turned into
odium or ridicule, or a sentence that
might be distorted to his own or his par
ty's injury, Garfield did not trip or halt
in any Of his seventy speeches.
In the beginning of his presidential
life Garfield's experience did not yield
him pleasure or satisfaction. The duties
that engross so large a portion Of the
Presidents time were distasteful to him,
and were unfavorably contrasted with his
legislative work.
81 have been dealing all these years
with ideas,' he impatiently exclaimed
one day, "and here Pm dealing only
with persons, [ have been heretofore treat
ing of the fundamental principles Of Gov
ernment, and here [ am considering ali
day whether A Or Bshall be appointed to
this or that Office"
He was earnestly seeking some practic-
al way Of correcting the evils arising
from the distribution Of overgrown and
unwieldly patronage-evils always ap-
preciated and often discussed by him, but
whose magnitude had been more deeply
impressed upon his mind since his acces-
sion to the Presidency. Had he lived,
comprehensive Improvement in the mode
of appointment and in the tenure of office
would have been proposed by him, and,
with the aid of Congress no doubt per-
fected. He grasped the helm of Office
with the hand of master. In this re-
spect, indeed, he constantly surprised
many who were not most intimately asso-
ciated with him in the Governments, 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 meet
ings were admirably conducted; his clear
presentation of official subjects, his we'll
considered suggestions of topics on which
his discussion was invited, when all had
| been heard, combined to show a thorough
ness of mental training as rare as his nat
ural ability and his facile adoption to
new and enlarged field of labor.
| The success of his administration was
| nigh. With strong and conservatism in
his nature, he was in no danger of ct
| tempting rash experiments or of resorting
! to the empiricism of craftsmanship; but
| he believed that renewed and closer at
tention should be given to questians af
fecting the material interests and CONNER
cial prosperity of fifty million people. He
| hotIoyp6 that fol roIof
extensive and undeveloped as they are,
involved responsibility, and could be cul-
tivated in profitable friendship, or be
| abandoned to harmful indifference or
lasting enmity. He believed with equal
confidence that an essential forerunner to
a new area of National progress must be
a feeling of contentment in every section
of the Union, and a general belief that
the benefits and burdens of Government
would be common to all. Himself a con-
spicuous illustration of what ability and
ambition may do under republican instit-
utions, he loved his country with pas
sion of patriotic devotion, and every wax
ing thought was given to her advance
ment. He was an American in all his
aspirations, and he looked to the destiny
and influence of the United States with
the philosophical composure of Jefferson
and the demonstrative confidence of John
Adams
The political events which disturbed
the Presidents serenity for many weeks
before that fateful day in July, form al
important chapter in his career, and, in
his own judgment, involved questions of
principle and of right which are vitality
essential to the constitutional admins
tration of the Federal Government. It
would be out of place here and now to
speak the language Of controversy; but
the events referred to, however they may
continue to be source of contention
with others, have become, so far as Gar
field is concerned, as much amatter of
history as his hercism at Chickamauga or
his illustrious service in the House De-
tail is mot needful, ,aud personal antagon-
ism shall not be rekindled by any word
uttered to-day. The motives of those op-
posing him are not to be here adversely