National Republican., 1883-06-11
THE GARFIELD REPUBLICANS.


The New York Sius crowds a great many
suggestions into small space in this statement
and inquiry: "The republican convention of
Ohio has indorsed the administration of
President Arthur. Ohio was the home of
Garfield. Have tho Garfield republicans dis
appeared, or has President Arthur changed?p
Doubtless everybody who read the Columbus
resolutions has put TO himself some form of
this same question; Is Garfield forgotten or
has Arthur changcdY
Seven months ago to-day it did not look
very much as if the Garfield republicans had
disappeared. The election results which
crowded the columns of the newspapers seemed
to indicate that they had been out the day
before in considerable numbers. Here in this
state for example, IL was discovered that the
democratic nominee for governor had received
almost precisely the same number of votes
Hancock had got two years before; but there
was discrepancy of something like 2l5,000
votes in the republican column, Where Gar
field had received 555,544 votes, giving him a
majority of 10000, judge Folger received
342, AGA votes, putting him in u minority of
10000 Nobody felt like asking on that day
If tho Garfield republicans had disappeared,
or, if so, where they had gone
Nor because the republicans of Garfeld's
state indorsod President Arthurs admins
traton in their state convention, does 1t fol-
low that the Garfield republicans have lost
ingly controlled by Garfield republicans. Tho
few stalwart midgets like Koifer, who sought
to shape 1t 10 their personal ends were in
such pitiful minority that they were
scarcely able to make noticeable demOnstra-
tion of their presence. The Endorsement of
President Arthur's administration came as q
tree-will offering from honest men, who are
to-day as much Garfield republicans as they
were in that cruel, anxious summer of 1881.
! The offering was made, not because it sig
nifed that uught of fealty or love TO the dead
had been lost, but because the living had de-
! served IT,.
President Arthur has changed in the eyes
| of the people. How much he has actually
changed in his own inner beliefs and feelings
/ we need not inquire. 1t might be said with
truth, perhaps, that he himself has not
changed that his disposition from tho first
day OF his administration was toward fair
ness, upright dealing, and broad, liboral
policy; that his good nature, overcoming
| his natural inclinations prompted him TO
yield to the opportunities Of the greedy, un-
scrupulous, implacable crew Of sO-called
friends who swarmod about him and that
! tho only change in him is one of will and
not of heart-that he is asserting himself
now where before he allowed tho marplots
aud adyenturers of stalwartism to speak aud
act for him. But this is distinction which
it is not necessary for our purpose to here
goes, not given to close analysis and measur'
ing results rather than sources, Arthur hal
changed.
We cannot illustrate this change bettoi
than by saying that if the most reliable jour
nal in the state should to-day print q story
alleging that President Arthur had selected
u candidate to head tho next republican stati
ticket and would allow the federal machinery
of the state to be worked to secure his nomi
nation, the people would not believe II. They
perhaps give him more credit for active in
terest in the nomination of FOlger than be
longs to him. But, be that as IL may, tho.
believe now that he has got through with tina
sort Of thing.
Since tho beginning of the late session o
congress tho change In the spirit of the ex
ccutiyo mansion has beeu grahyingl.
marked. The message which the presiden
sant on the opening day was ~ good u state
ment OF progressive aud intelligent Tepubli