THE LATE GENERAL GARFIELD.

Patea Mail, Volume IX, Issue 1080, 31 August 1883, Page 3

THE LATE GENERAL GARFIELD.

“Jacob Terry,” the-American correspondent of the Otago.Daily Times, makes sonic statements about tno late President of a rather startling nature. Hitherto wo have always been told that Garfield, of all others, was the most upright and honest of American politicians, but if we are to• believe “ Jacob ferry, .even he could not keep his fingers clean, and had a share in transactions which drag him down to a very low level indeed. We may premise the following extract by reminding our readers that it was always given out that General Garfield’s nomina.lion was to no one a greater surprise than to himself, and that he was much embarrassed lost it should be thought he had broken faith with Grant and the other candidates, for whose election he was working -The revelations regarding the methods resorted to by Garfield to secure his own election, and his barter and sale to banking and railroad syndicates, which Dorsey, late defendant in the Star route prosecution, and, at the time covered by the transactions referred to, Secretary of the Republican National Committee, represented, are of the most sweeping and damnatory character. He gave a written undertaking to Jay Gould that in consideration of IOO.OOOdoIs to be given by him to secure his election, he would appoint Stanley' Matthews, a railroad attorney and brotherin law of Hayes, olio oft he justices of the United States Supreme Court. The moivy

was paid, and Matthews appointed as the Jay Gould railroad nominee. This transaction will be inquired into by Congress. About the same time, in the Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York, Garfield agreed to give a banking syndicate the business of refunding the public debt on terms which would have given them millions of dollars, although the work was subsequently done by Secretary Windom without a dollar of expense to the nation, Garfield also wrote to Jay Hubbel to ask Brady and the Star route contractors (then in Washington) what they were going to give to his election fund. From this corrupt source he got 40,000d015, beside a big cheque from the banking interest to cover his private expenditure, his hospitality being abused by office seekers and political touters. Furthermore, it is proven that Garfield was in the confidence of the Star route ring, and had undertaken to defend them in Congress, but at the last moment left the city, and deceived them. It was subsequent to this that he applied to them for money. These statements, verified by documentary evidence with much more at their back, have not strengthened the Republican party ; but then, in every town, city and State of the Union where the Democracy has the control, charges of corruption of the most flagrant character are made and sustained. It is therefore a choice of two evils, and as honesty is not seriously expected from office-holders in this country, despite official bonds and party pledges, the possession of that virtue by the present Administration goes far to atone for the shortcomings of its predecessors and the faults in the party organisation. Honesty in office is so rare a quality that it becomes noticeable.