The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-08-09
An Amusing Feature Of 1t.

The most amusing, if not the most
instructive, feature of the Dorsey |
Barker revelations is the new light |
thrown upon two important political
events: the nomination of Garfield at
Chicago and the Republican victory in
Indiana at the election In the following
October. The contemporary historians
Of the great moral idea party have
I" spread themselves so to speak, in
describing the ''Providential circum-
Stances which led to the defeat of
Grant and the selection Of a candidate
who had never been seriously Thought OF
in connection with Presidential hofiors,
aud who was as much surprised when
they were thrust upon him by the Con-
tention as was Cincinnatus when sum-
moned from the p1ow to the dictatorship
of imperiled Rome. Who CAN forget. or
remember now without a burst of laugh
ter, the accounts of Garfields behavior
OH that immortal occasionP-how he
was completely overwhelmed " when
his name was mentioned: how he
{. taiIily endeavored to decline
the coming event in favor of John Sher-
man; how he ''insisted that consent
was impossible;n how "terribly con-
fused'' he was, and how ''the bushes
of modesty and embarrassment mantled
his cheeks when the result of the final
ballot was announced; and how he
sstried to escape from the ovation of
congratulation'' which closed the pref
ty piece of business. The picture drawn
by Republican pencils was so graceful
and attractive to the unsophisticated
| II ll,4 @l,a az rrpH
iii the preparation of the Garfield Ma
tioIia1 monument m light have lf1corpo-
rated it in the forthcoming marble or
bronze, and SO transmitted to admiring
posterity the edifying spectacle OF a
Presidential nominee who did not want
to be nominated, had not the slightest
expectation of being nominated, and
would not have been nominated if he
| c6tld possibly have helped it. Alas for
''the truth of historyp' Alas for the
design CT the artist! Remorseless Dor
sey and Baker have sat down upon both
and flatteRed them out forever. The
world now knows, beyond all reasonable
doubt, the real facts in the case; knows
that Garfield knew all about the plans
of his friends for springing him upon
the Conventions; knows that he was
consulted in regard to the matter, anc
gave his consent with the utmost
promptness and pleasure; knows thai
he had no more intention of nominal
ing Sherman than of doing the same
for General Jackson or Julius Cesar
knows that all his confusion, surprls'
and modesty was only neat bit of act
ing, and that he must have smiled il
his sleeve at the game so successful.
played. Thanks to Dorsey and Barke
l-unimpeachable Republican witnesses
they are, too-one more Republican
historical humbug has been exploded
and vanishes out of sight leaving behint
nothing save bad smell.
A worse smell, however. is left b.
the second exploded humbug, the DC
tober election in Indiana. The Repuh
lican press declared at the time, an
have been declaring ever since, ths
the Republican victory was due to 6
grand uprising of the people in behal
Of Republican principles;'s that it wa
ga great work of political conversion,
ga moral tidal wave,' "a special prov
dence for the salvation of the Unio
and the results of the war" The worl
now knows that Garfield's bargain an
sale produced $2,000,000 for campaigg
purposes; that S400, 900 went to Indian
e ain crisp two-dollar bank notes." ths
this money was used in the most III
scrupulous fashion, and that the resu
!. of the election no more represented til
true sentiments of the people of Indian
}. than it did those of the people I
Dahomey No such scandalous an
|. shameless transaction as this is recorde
: in our political annals, the PRESIDENT
e conspiracy of 1876 always excepted; an
4 both are fragrant flowers in the bouqu
+ of Republican rascality and rottennes
y We can not help plying those hone
y Republicans who voted for Garfield
s 1880, believing him to be champit
e Civil-service Reformer and as fr
from all completely with CORFU
d ton as an unborn babe. Ho
a their eyes and mouths must open
= utter amazement as they read of
l. share in the Indiana performance, al
e how utterly disguised they must be
p their own innocent gullibility! +
e sweet charity's sake we will say nothil
l. of the biographies which will have
st be revised to meet the demands of t
le Dorsey-Barker documents; the funeI
r orations which must undergo the sar
process for the same reason; the col
: plete demolition of the idol which L
9. publican hands erected for the Repu
d lican multitude to adore. Enough
IF say that biographers, orators and i'd
), makers have ABUNDANT cause to cul
le Dorsey and Barker with the most ihge
ious and profuse profanity, and th
e. if the Star-route trials have done not
l, ing else they have contributed large
W to the stock of popular informati
v upon certain subjects heretofore env
,e oped in thick cloud of sensational
70 nance and impudent falsehood.-
as Louis Republican.