Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 June 1881 — CARFIELD. [ARTICLE]

CARFIELD.

Digging His Own Pitfalls—The Stalwart Split—The Rejection of the Caucus— MacVeagh Versus Blaine. [Washington Cor. New York Sun.] There is at least one Ohio Republican remaining in Washington who did not feel interest enough to go home to help renominate Foster, and who is not likely to do much toward his election. “ I’m not particularly a stalwart,” said he, “ but I am of the opinion Garfield is behaving very much like a crazy man. If ever he possessed wisdom, he certainly does not show it. Just see how he’s cut his own throat in half a dozen ways. Take the anti-caucus, the go-as-you-please rule his supporters have invented that he is backing up at Albany. Why it’s just what the Taft men and other stalwarts in Ohio want, and what they will smash Garfield’s and Foster’s heads with next October. Thousands of Republicans then who wish to rank as party men will hide behind this precedent to lay out Foster. If Garfield at Albany may refuse caucus and set up the go-as-you-please rule, Ohio Republicans may do so at home, aud they will do it, as the game now stands. Garfield has just begun to see this, and wants to escape from the consequences of his own folly. You ask me if I credit the report from Albany that Garfield has written a letter crawfishing about Conkling and Platt. I can say that it accords perfectly with much I have heard of him lately ; in fact, he said nearly the same thing to me and another, and I am prepared to believe he has written it according to the report. I really believe he would embrace Conkling in genuine earnest were he to present himself at the White House and if that would heal the breach. There is no fight in Garfield except as Blaine spurs him to it. He has fairly wilted of late. There seems to be something more the matter with him than who shall be Senator. He acts like a man that somebody has got a twist on in a secret way like.” We were here joined by an Indiana Republican of some repute as a politician. At first he was not disposed to talk, save about the weather and the like. When railed about it, he said : “I don’t feel much like talking ; it’s too much like a funeral. It seemed so for a good while to me. You ask who’s tho corpse? Why .Garfield, of course. And he’s so changed, too. But that’s making light of what may be a serious fact, as it appears to me. I only meant it was a political funeral. He’s going to catch it badly in Ohio, where he might have had a good thing. There’s just one chance, and that’s fast running out. Were he to stand from under in the fight Blaine has got him into, and call the dogs off in all quarters, he might save himself. I suppose yon will think me almost as crazy as Garfield when I tell you it is yet possible to get Conkling and Grant to put their shoulders under to save Foster, even to the extent of making speeches, but I tell yon I’m not crazy at all. If Garfield wasn’t worse than crazy, this, or something like it, would go into history before the Ohio election. Somebody or something seems to be killing Garfield by inches.” And here the Indianian stroked his beard solemnly and thoughtfully. “ I like Garfield, aud worked hard for him," he continued, “ and I’m distressed to see him go down hill so. He’s no longer the buoyant, jolly good fellow he used to be when he went behind the Speaker’s chair up in the House to smoke and crack jokes. You would not know him, he’s so altered. He tries to be joyous, but it’s a distressing exhibition lie makes of himself, it’s so unnatural. He may come out all right. He would, perhaps, if his way could be made easy for him. By the way, what sort of a fellow is Arthur ?” I answered that he was very much of a mar, a clever gentleman in the estimation of his friends, with more than average of general ability. “ Why do you ask ?” said I. “ Oh, nothing special,” said the Indianian, with a serious air; “ only I was thinking when I left Garfield yesterday how it would be if anything should happen. The warm weather is coming on, things are crowding worse and worse every day, and sometimes, you know, men not used to such things give out rather sudden, and I was just thinking how it would be if Arthur should be President in less than a year.” Turning the conversation, I inquired what was the feeling in the West and Northwest, where he had recently been. “Well,” he answered, “ I was in Wisconsin the other day, where I found the feeling among Republicans setting in favor of Conkling, rather because they couldn’t see why there should be any quarrel at all. What in Tophet did Garfield get into a fight for? It was his business to have no fight. “This an average Wisconsin Republican put to me, and it appears to reflect the general idea wherever I have been. I told Garfield so only yesterday, and he laughed at it, but the laugh was more like a maniac’s than asane man’s.”

At this point a Pennsylvanian joined the circle. After observing that his was Monongahela clear, he said : “ Blaine’s not the only man that’s giving Garfield trouble. MacVeagh’s as full of mischief as Blaine, and he’s got a contract on his hands to protect Don Cameron’s interest from all harm. He won’t hold out long, though ; but for the present Don’s safe for all that Blaine can influence Garfield against him, for the wily Attorney General is as nigh as anybody to the President when he wants to be. Don’s helping Conkling, and there’s something going on with MacVeagh for a medium. I think it’s the reason Garfield is said to have weakened in the Conkling fight. Just you listen a minute,” said the Pennsylvanian; “just you look at it; there’s something going on, and MacVeagh’s yet standing square for Don, and Don’s standing square for Conkling—l might say for Grant, for with Don Grant’s everybody and everything. You should know Don—everybody should know him—for I tell you, gentlemen, there’s nothing in the new version truer than Don is to his word and a friend. He cculdn’t be otherwise, being Scotch, and I’m Scotch. Well, I was saying, Don at Albany, and MacVeagh here, why, Garfield couldn’t do otherwise than weaken, except when Blaine was around. I spoke of MacVeagh’s giving Garfield trouble; this is the way he’s doing it— making trouble with Blaine. Don’t you forget it, gentlemen. MacVeagh’s going to be top of the heap here pretty soon, if he ain’t already. Going to try the star cases ? you ask. He never tried anything he could settle. You don’t know him, let me tell you, Don and he haven’t hitched - for some time before the late alliance, on account of JJill

Chandler, ~ but they are together now and will be till MacVeagh can set up for himself. He never stops long with any one. You may discount clear down the stories about Garfield’s getting after Don Cameron, unless Blaine gets a new hold of him, when there will be a row.” Said he, suddenly! “ Who’s going to be Speaker of the next House of Congress ? ‘ Don’t know,’ you say. I can tell you. Wm. D. Kelley is his name—the father of the Housa, they call bim, because he’s been there longest. Nobody’s got the majority, and let me just inform you that the little band Kelley belongs to—call them Independente, Greenbackers, or what not—they are going to have the Speaker. He’s my sort of Republican, and isn’t mixed to hurt anybody. Neither administration nor anti-adminis-tration is going to win in that fight. The Independents are going to decide it. I’m not going to let out the particulars now, but don’t you forget his name is Bill Kelley.” Here the Pennsylvanian said he had a little office matter to look after down at the department.