The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-06
GARFIELD AND blaine.
The Career of Gen. Garfield-The Room He
Died In-PoIitical "reminiscences

The Career of Gen. G~arfield-The Room He
Died In-PoIitical "Reminiscences.
Broadway Lounger, in New York Tribune.
OF all the strange Americans, the strangest in
career was James A. Garfield. l remember
when | was a newspaper correspondent at Wash
ington, receiving about the same salary he re-
ceived, going one Sunday to his house. We
talked there a long time. He was always a
school-teacher to me. While / could be a more
independent man than himself because / owed no
duty to any sensitive constituency, l recog-
nized in him a teacher and a moralist. / have
heard cruel things said about him from better
men than myself. It is enough to me to bear
testimony to a friend as / found him. We went
in to his dinner table; his wife was not there.
The dinner consisted Of some cold roast beef
warmed over in the frying-pan, and of some
stewed tomatoes. Garfield never apoligized for
the dinner. felt so much respect for my host
that a better dinner might have given me a
chance for criticism. The dinner was so plain
that it's simplicity gave all concerned an honest
character. Here was man who had been sus-
pected, outraged, with no more dinner than
would give somebody who came to the front
stoop.
The year following the war / was a lecturer
through Garaeld's district in Ohio. There 1
first heard his name. was not familiar with
acquaintance-on his part it was very slowly
made. He always seemed TO me to be a shy,
fearful man, and ] had an idea that he eonsid-
cred me a sort of large, worldly public character
! that ne might NATURALLY hesitate 10 give BIS con-
fdenee to. have always found public men to
have a great natural vein in them. II wanted
to go with any sorrows | might have, and find
| a friend to weep with, ] would not 60 to some
crude, unfolded man, but go to a great, disci-
plined, sorrowed man, and say to him: "Tarry
with me tonight
Since the suherings and death of Garfield, /
have had to listen, from acquaintance of mine
whom I must tolerate, though will not aequit,
\ to imputatlons about this dead man that | can
only account for on the ground Of general
human depravity. The more mankind seems to
rise up and stand by the side Of this we'll
informed, welLacquitted gentleman, the more !
! find q certain gross. harsh intolerance of nature
to revel in denouncing him. / can only compare
it to Oliver Cromwell, after the great example he
was to Englishmen, being pursued and harried
for two hundred years.
The young gentleman who was the lieutenant
at the Elberon Hotel, came in at last and said:
Now, sir, they are ready to show you whore
General Garfield died. We crossed o portion Of
the green lawn toward tho sea, and came to one
of the neat, extensive wooden cottages the Amer
leans build in this day OF grace and favor. |
was only thinking of my old friend, as / crossed
the Threshold and ascended the STAIRS. / can
hardly remember anything but angular stairs
and a beautiful interior above, and a neat, taste
full domestic explaining, in an honest way, as be-
came Garfelds name and fame, how he was
brought in; how the railroad car came around to
the back Of the house, and how the poor man
was taken out and brought in through a lower
room, and then was carried In some way up, the
stairs, and finally was placed on a bed, and how,
at odd times, he was taken off the bed and put
in q chair. which was shown to me, of a kind OF
curule shape. But l knew that it was the room
which Blaine had described with that tenderness
of speech which only those tried In the long bur
dens of public life can use toward their persisted
friends. Ifelt happy that after q hard discipline
of twenty-five years in political writing could
have faith in that poor mans agonies anu hopes
and greatness Of character as he sat in that room.
\ To + anrtid not halieVa IN Rl1ffarinU like that. what