Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-03-02


tional government and human liberty,
his family had been represented. They
were at Malston Moor, at Naseby and
at Preston; they were at Bunker Hill,
at Saratoga, and at Monmouth, and in
his own person had battled for the same
great cause in the war which preserved
the union Of the states.
The great measure Of Gariield's fame
was filled by his service in the house OF
representatives. AS a parliamentary
orator, as debater on an issue square
ly joined, where the position had been
chosen and the ground laid out, Car
field must be assigned very high
rank. More, perhaps, than any man
with whom he was associated in public
life, he gave careful and systematic
study to public questions, and he came
to every discussion in which he took
part, with elaborate and complete pre-
paration. He was a steady and indie
fatigable worker. Those who imagine
that talent or genius can supply the
place or achieve the results of labor,
will find no encouragement III Gar
fild's life. In preliminary work he was
apt, rapid, and skillful. He possessed
in high degree the power of readily
absorbing ideas ana facts. and like
DR.. Johnson, had the art Of get
ting from book all that was
of value in it Dy . reading
apparently so quick and cursorv that ii
ofcontents. He was pre-eminently
fair and candid man in debate, TOOK no
petty advantage, stopped to no UNI
worthy methods, avoided personal al
lusions, rarely appealed to prejudice,
did not seek to inhame passion. He
had quicker eye for the strong point
of his adversary than for his weak
point, and on his own side he so mar
shaded his weighty arguments as to
make his hearers forget any possible
lack in the complete strength of his po-
sitlon. He had a habit of stating his
opponents side with such amplitude of
fairness and such 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 great parlia-
mentary leader. A parliamentary
leader, as that term il 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
squalified-disqualified by the texture
of his mind, by the honesty of his
heart, by his conscience, and by every
instinct aud aspiration of his nature.
The three most distinguished parlia-
mentary leaders hitherto developed in
this country are Mr.. Clay, Mr.. Douglas,
Mr.. Thaddens Stevens. Each was a
man of consummate ability, of great
earncstness, 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 potential in
tluence among men, and which, meas
uIed by the severe test of posthumous
criticism, will secure more enduring
and more enviable fame.
Gartield's nomination to the Presi-
dency, while not predicted or anticipa-
ted, was not a 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 "A man occupying the very
highest rank among those entitled to be
called statesmen.
One aspect of his candidacy was un-
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 despel-
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 eflusion by which General Scott
lost II 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 i'll ~ series of Wig
orous and original addresses, preparing
the pathway for his own defeat. Tn.
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 grea,
multitude in that city, to delegation,
and Populations of every kind that
called at Mentor during the summer
and autumn. With innumerablt
critics, watchful and eager to catch 3
phrase that might be turned into odiun
and rldlcule, or sentence that NIGH
be distorted to his own or his party in
Jury, Garfield did not trip or halt il
any of mis- seventy speeches. This seem,
all the more remarkable when it s re
membered that he did not write wha
he said, and yet spoke with such logi