The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-05
THE GARFIELD GUARDIAN.
The Pleasant Relations Between the Dead
President and Mr. Tucker.


The Pleasant Relations Between the Dead
President and Mr.. Tucker.
Washington Letter.
Mrs Garfield did a very graceful and very
sensible thing in asking John Randolph Tucker,
of Virginia, to act as the guardian of her infant
children during their legal minority Graceful
because Tucker was of Garhelds truest
friends; sensible, because better man could not
have been found for that responsible position
When Tucker came up from his professorship in
"the University as the NirgnianS call it, u
brilliant, scholarly, big-heaI ted, old-fashioned
Virginia gentleman, to SIT IN the House of Rep
resentatives, 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 congenialas Garfield. Although
they differed Numerically in most things, yet
they had much in common Garfield was a
big Drained, big-hearted boy, his en-
thusiasm tempered only by his culture
Morally weak and untitled by nature
and by education for politics, he was
socially most charming companion, and intel
lectually n rarely well cultivated man. Tucker
was personally as delightful as Garfield, excel
ling him in his ability to tell good story, and
was intellectually his peer in every respect. At
the same time he was morally strong, as honest
as he was fearless although he was no better
equipped for political life than Garfield Of
course their political views differed in toto Tuck
alist. Tucker was revenue reformeI; Garfield,
though at heart he was a revenue reformer
bowed to the will of the party bosses and avowed
himself protectionist. But one day, after their
friendship had become fixed fact, Garfield came
over to fuckers desk, on the Democratic side of
the House. and said: Tucker, you know l am
protectonist but want that there should be
free trade hereafter between you and me in
matters literary" with all my heart" re-
sponded Tucker and from that time to the day
of Garhelds death they were the closest friends
They both loved literature-all letters, ancient
and modern, but perhaps most of all, the Greek
and Latin classics Every day they managed to
steal time from even the most engrossing of
their legislative 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 in such volcanic soil Tucker
relates that once, during one of these expedl-
tions 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 description in
Horace of the preparation of Roman salad, "
and he turned to it. Sure enough there was a
list of the ingredients, with the remark that
the product was "E pluribus unum'-"one of
many" 81 hope you observe, Tucker, said
Nationalist Garfield tho product was was 'one
-'unum.'" Eyes" said States rights Tucker,
sand hope you observe Garfield that it was
of many'-'E pluribus.' So both got a laugh
out of 1t. This pleasant literary partnership
continued up to the time that Garfield was nom
mated for the presidency Then came the cam
paign, the lull between election and Inaugural
ton, the feveyish Conkling episode and Gui-
teau'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 sin
cerely than his friend Tucker and no one among
all his friends could better discharge the trust
which Mrs. Garfield has laid upon him. The
I. ~ ia Il
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, single hearted, noble man.