Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-12-10
Tucker and Garfield.

From letter of a Washington cores
pendent Of the Philadelphia Record, We
make the following extract:
ssMrs. Garfield did very graceful and
yery sensible thing in asking John Ran.
dolph Tucker, of Virginia, to act as the
guardian of her infant children during
their legal minority. Graceful, because
Tucker was one of Garfeld's truest friends
sensible, because better man could not
have been found for that responsible posi-
ton. When Tucker came up from his
Professorship in ''the University" as the
Virginians call it, brilliant, scholarly,
big hearted, old-fashioned Virginia gentle
man, to sit in the House Of Representa-
tives, he sought out the more cultivated
among his colleagues and made them his
friends. This was not difficult, for no one
ever knew him long without loving him.
Among them all he found no one SO con-
genial as Garfield. Although they differed
Numerically in most things, yet they had
much in common Garfield was big
Drained, big-hearted boy, his enthusiasm
tempered only by his culture. Morally
weak and untitled by nature and education
for politics. he was socially most charming
companion, and intellectually rarely we'll
cultivated man. Tucker was personally as
delightful as Garfield, excelling him in his
ability to tell good story, and was intel
lectually his peer in every respect. At the
same time he was morally strong, as hon
est as he was fearless, although he was no
better equipped for. political life than Gar
field. OF course their political views diff
fered in toto. Tucker was State-rights
man; Garfield was a nationalist. Tucker
was a revenue reformer; Garfield, though
at heart he was revenue reformer, bowed
to the will of the party bosses and avowed
himself protectionist. But one day, af-
ter their friendship had become fact,
Garfield came over to fuckers desk on
the Democratic siue of the House and said:
Tucker, you know l am a protectionist,
but want that there should be free trade
hereafter between you and me in matters
literary with all my heart responded
Tucker, and from that time to the day of
friends. They both loved literature-all
most of all the Greek and Latin classics.
Every day they managed to steal time from
even the most engrossing of their legisla-
tive duties for an excursion into those ever
blooming fields. Sometimes they met in the
Library, sometimes in committee-room
or again on the floor of the House itself.
Rather an odd growth on such a volcanic
soil. Tucker relates that once, during one
of these expeditions into the classic shades,
Garfield asked him whether he knew where
our national motto, e Pluribus Unum,
came from. Tucker was obliged to admit
that he did not. WELL said Garfield, it
comes from a description in Horace of the
preparation of Roman salad and be
turned to it. Sure enough there was q
list Of Ingredients, with the remark that
the product was e pluribus unum'-'one
of the many 4 hope you observe, Tuck
err SAID Nationalist Garfield, that the
product was 'one'-'unum.' Yes, said
State rights Tucker, and hope you OBJ
serve, Garfield, that it was of many'-E
pluribus." So both got a laugh out of it.
This pleasant literary partnership continued
up to the time that Garfield was nominated
for the Presidency. Then came the cam
paign, the lull between election and inau-
gurstion. the feverish Conkling episode
and Guiteau's bullet. The old friends
met again and again during that hurried
last year, but they never resumed their
pleasant diversions among their books. No
one mourned Garfield more sincerely than
his Fl lend Tucker, and no one among all his
friends could better discharge the trust
which Mrs. Garfield has laid upon him.
The 'infaut children take to be James,
Mollie, and the small boy, Rudolph. They
are fortunate in their guardian-he is the
typical guardian-faithful, vigilant and
withal jolly and kindly, a simple-hearted,
sngle-hearted, noble man.