GARFIELD 



2391 



GARFIELD 



received one or two votes from time to time, 

 but had not been seriously considered until the 

 thirty-fourth ballot, when Wisconsin gave him 

 thirty-six votes. On the thirty-sixth ballot he 

 received a majority of the votes, and was 

 declared nominated. 



In the campaign 'which followed Garfield es- 

 tablished a new precedent by making speeches 

 in his own behalf in Ohio, New York and sev- 

 eral other states. An attempt was made to con- 

 nect him with the Credit Mobilier (which 

 see), but no proof of personal corruption was 

 ever offered. That the people at large be- 

 lieved in his innocence was shown by the 

 result of the election, in which he received 

 an electoral vote of 214 to 155 for Winfield 

 S. Hancock, the Democratic candidate. 



Garfield's Brief Administration. When Gar- 

 field entered office, it seemed that his adminis- 

 tration was to be most successful. Both pub- 

 licly and privately he announced his desire to 

 unite all factions of his party and of the people 

 in his support, but his hope was not fulfilled. 

 With the exception of Robert T. Lincoln, Sec- 

 retary of War, his strong Cabinet was com- 

 posed entirely of "half-breeds," Elaine himself 

 being Secretary of State. The President, how- 

 ever, recognized the stalwart faction in the 

 nomination of about a dozen important officers 

 in New York, all apparently with the approval 

 of Conkling and Platt, the Senators from that 

 state. Then he sent to the Senate the nomina- 

 tion of William H. Robertson as collector of 

 the port of New York. Robertson was one 

 of Conkling's bitterest political foes, and Conk- 

 ling tried to prevent confirmation. The Re- 

 publican Senators, yielding to Conkling's 

 wishes, agreed in caucus to allow the nomina- 

 tion to lie over from May until December. 

 This was a victory for Conkling, but the 

 President met this move by withdrawing the 

 dozen nominations which pleased Conkling. 

 Conkling and his colleague, Senator Platt, 

 thereupon resigned and appealed to the New 

 York legislature for reelection to vindicate the 

 right of Senatorial patronage. The legislature 

 refused to reelect them, and meanwhile the 

 nomination of Collector Robertson was con- 

 firmed. 



On the morning of July 2, 1881, President 

 Garfield was in a holiday mood. Twenty-five 

 years before he had been graduated from Wil- 

 liams College, and on this day he was to go 

 back to his alma mater for his twenty-fifth 

 reunion. As he was walking through the rail- 

 way depot in Washington, arm in arm with 



Outline and Questions on 

 James A. Garfield 



I. Early Years 



(1) Birth and parentage 



(2) Early need for hard work 



(3) Beginnings of an education 



(4) "On the towpath" 



(5) In institute and college 



II. Rapid Rise to Prominence 



(1) Work as teacher 



(a) Reasons for success 



(2) As president of Hiram College 



(3) Interest in the slavery question 



(4) In the state legislature 



(5) As a soldier 



(a) Battle of Middle Creek 



(b) Gallant services at Battle of 



Chickamauga 



(6) In Congress 



(a) Work on committees 



(b) Policy during Reconstruction 



period 



(c) Republican leader of the House 



(7) Election of 1880 



(a) Garfield's place in Republican 



convention 



(b) Chosen as compromise candi- 



date 



(c) Elected President 



III. Administration 



(1) "Stalwarts" and "half-breeds" 



(2) Break with Conkling 



(3) Star Route frauds case tried 



(4) Death at the hands of a disap- 



pointed office-seeker 



IV. Summary 



(1) Not a great genius 



(2) Remarkable rise to power due to 



industry and perseverance 



(3) Rank as an orator 



"Questions 



What characteristic reason did Gar- 

 field give for not attending a college of 

 his own religious denomination? 



When did he give up a promising ca- 

 reer because he was convinced that he 

 could do more good elsewhere? 



What was the motive back of the 

 assassination of the President? 



What particular form did the love of 

 adventure take in the boy Garfleld? 

 What was the outcome of his search for 

 adventure? 



Who were the "half-breeds," and 

 what, part did they play in Garfield's 

 brief administration? 



In how many fields did Garfield win 

 distinction? 



Why may it justly be said that his 

 rise to fame was more rapid than that 

 of almost any other American? 



On what important committees did 

 he serve in Congress? 



What were Garfleld's favorite books 

 when he was a child? 



Of whom was his regiment chiefly 

 made up at the outbreak of the war? 



Tell how he happened to be nomi- 

 nated for the Presidency. 



Give his significant comment on the 

 death of Lincoln. 



What led him to take his first interest 

 in politics? 



Why did he never take the seat In 

 the Senate to which he was elected? 



