Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-03-09

Giddines and James A Garfield rep esented
he district for ff'y-four wears. There is no
est cf mans ability in any de-
puiment OF public life more
severe than service 10 the house o.
representatives.. There is no place where
- title difference Is pad to reputation pre-
i-uslv ccquired or TO eminpnce W Il out
lie. NJ place where so little consideration
shown flr the Feelings or failures Ofbc-
.inrers. What q man gains in the house
ie gIins by sEeer flrce ct his own cha.ac
rr, AID il he loses or falls back, he must
xpeCt no mercy ard
WILL RECEIVE no SYMPATHY.
II is a field in which the survival of the
strongest is the reooInized rule, and where
no pretense can succeed and no glamour
can m,lead, The real man IS discovered,
his worth is impartially weighed his rank
is irrevoclby decided.
With possibly single exception, Mr..
Garfield was the yOu7gost member in the
house when he entered, and was but seven
sears from his college graduation. 1tt lie
had not been in his eeat s'Aty days before
his ability Wl5 TccJg izad and his place
conc del. He stepped u the front with
the coutiierCe of man who belOngel
there. lbe house was crowded with strong
men OF both parties, Nineteen of them
have since heen transferred to the senate,
and many OF them have served with dis
linctiOn in the gubernatoral chairs OF their
respective states, and on foreign mis- 'iols
If great Consequence. But, among
ali, none grew 80 rapidly, none
o firmly as Garfield. As said Of rrevelyal, l,
his parliamentary hero Garfield succeeded
because all the world in concert could not
have Kept him in The background, and be-
cause when once iu the front he played his
part with a prompt intrepidity and q com.
mandiug cast that were but the outward
symptoms Of the immense reserves of en-
ergy, from which it was in his power to
draw. Indeed, the apparently reserve brce
which Garfield possessed was one of III,
great characteristics. lie never did 50 well
but that il et2mcd he cOuld easily have
hone Better. He never expended so much
strength but that he seemed to be holding
ADDITIONAL POWER AT CALL.
This is one OF the hapgies, sua raGest dis
tnctonS oil an eiico,ito lolder, and often
counts fr % murh in persuljing an Assem-.
5ly az the eloquent aud elaborate otgu.
meut which distinguished his service in
the house OF representatives,. Ills military
life, illustrated by honorable IGrfDrmanCa,
and rich IN prom,s, was, as he himqclf felt,
prfmlturely terminated aud necessarily in
complete. Speculation as to what he
might have done in field where the great
prizes are so few can not be profitable. II
is sufficient to say that IS glliief he did
his duty Dravely, he die il inteDligantly-
he won an enviabe fame, and he retired
rom tic service without blot or breath
against him.
Garfield rs Leader.
As lawyer, though admirably equipped
for the profession, he can scarcely be said
o have entered on its practice. The few
Efforts he made at the tar were distinguish
81 by the same high order of talent which
he exhibited on every field where he was
put to the test, and If man may be aC-
cepted as q competent Judge Of his own ca.
paci'les and adaptations, the law was the
profeSsior 10 which Garfield should have
devoted himself. But fate oriaiue3 other
wise, and his reputation Ii history will
rest LARGELY up3n h'5 service in the house
| of represer,tGyes. That service was ex-
| ceptirHjily long. lie was nine times con-
scCutiveiy chosen to The house, an honor
enjoyed by not more than six other rerre-
sentatlvcs of the more than fgc t4ousnd
who have been elected fon the orgauizl.
ton of the rOyefnment to this hour.
A. q parliamentary orator, as debater
/ on an issue squarely Joined, whore the pO.
| siti0n had been chosen and the ground
laid out, Garfield must be assiGncd s very
high lauk, More, perhaps, than any man
With whom he wa7 associated in public
| life, he gave careful and systematic stu y
70 puElic questions, and he came to every
Discussion in which he took part, witt
! elaborate and complete preparation. II,
was a steady and indef4tisahle wO .ker
| ThO.e who imagine that talent o. gauiu:
can supply the place or achieve The results
OF labor will find no encouragement il
Glrield's life. In preliminary work h
was apt. rapid and skillful. IIe ncs5esseC
| in high degree the pOGer OF readily a.
sOrbing ideas and fats, and like DR.. John
sou, had the ait Of getting from book al
that wa5 OF value in it by q rcating arRar
emily SO quick and cursOry that It Fc1mto
! like mere glance at the tnte vi contents
lie was a pre.emrtnlly fair and can0it
man in DEBATE took no peLty advantage
stocrci to no unworthy methods, avoided
: personall a(lugons, rarely appealed to pre-
judice, did not
SEEK 10 tEFL,NE rAsHst7,
He had q Guickpr eyc f1r the strong poin
of his adversary than for bis weak point
and on his own side he 50 mlrShl|oi hi
weighty arguments as to make his heartr
forget any possible lack in the com e.
strength of his position. He hnt habit q
stating HE opponents s;do with such sHl
pitude Of fairness and such iibpraiLy q
concession that his followers often CON
planned that he was giving his case away
Bnt nevcr in his prolonged participation T.
the proceedings Of the house did he Civ
his case away, or fail in the Judgment o
competent and impartial listeners to eli
The mastery.
These characteristics, which markell Ca
field as a great deba,er, did MT alwey,l
make him great parlianiepiars leader.
parliamentary leader, as that term is unde
stood wherever free representative gOverr
mcnt exists, is necessarily and very strict
the ergan of his party. An arent Amer
cln nelined the insliICtive warmth OF patr
otism when he offered the toast, Our C2ul
try, always right, bus hight or wrong OF
country" The parliamentary lesda- VII
hgs a body of follower that will do al
dare and die for 'he cause, ia one wh) b
iieves his party always right, but righ, ,
, wrong Is for his party. No mcreimporiul
or cxGcting duty devolves upon him tn
| VIC Sb'ICIlDn VI lub ftiu duu tue lllllt l
contest. lie must know not merely how
strike, but where to strike and when
strike. He often skillfuly avoids Il
strength of his opponents position ~
( scatters confusion in his ranks by attaCkir
| an exposed point when really the righteou
ness OF the cause and and the strength
| logic al iDtrenChment are against him, /
: coG1Gers often both against the right an
the neavy battalion1i as when you
Charles Fox, in thD days OF torysm, carril
the house Of commons against iustic
, against Its memorial rights, againstits Dy
! convictions, it, indeed, at that period FO
had convictions, and, in the interest of
, corrupt administration, In obedience 10
= tyrsnnical sovereign, drove WILKES fro
the seat to which the electors of MiddlesC
had chosen him and installed Euttrell
., defiance, not merely of law but OF publ
= deoency For an achievement OF this kir
. Garfield was disqualified, disqualified |
the texture OF his mind, by the
y HONESTY OF HIS HEART,
: ty his conscience and by every instinct ar
=, aspiration of his nature,
The three most distinsalshsd parl;
! mentary leaders hitherto developed IN N
= country are Mr.. Clay, Mr.. Douglas end n
: Thaddeus Stevens. Each was a man
consummate ability, of great earnestness,
I. intense personality, differing widely, ca
! from tho Others, and yet with q signal tr,
! In cJmmou-the power TO command.
:. Inc give and take OF daily discussion,
, the alt Of controlling and consolidating |
luctant and refractory followers, in d
skill to overcome all forms of opppsttio
and to meet with competency ana coura
1. the varying phases of unlocked for assau
or unsupported detection, it would be d
i ticult to rank with these fourth name
i all our congressional history. But of the
Mr.. Cllv was tho greatest II NronId -,