The Oddities of the Presidential Campaign (Cont.)

The Democrats accused Garfield most of all of speculative dealings. A few years ago, a broad speculative society of “Land Credit” was founded here, and to increase its activity, it drew into its membership some members of Congress—contrary to a direct law forbidding members of Congress to participate in any speculative establishments. Garfield was supposedly among them. The Democrats unearthed a document somewhere showing that he had received a sum of 329 dollars from this society. This discovery was enough for them to proclaim the Republican candidate a corrupt and depraved man. In vain did Garfield swear that he had received this sum not as a member of the society, but as a lawyer for some purely legal service; the Democrats spread his name throughout the country as a man who, as a member of Congress, contrary to explicit law, was a criminal participant in a speculative society and therefore deserved not the presidency, but criminal prosecution; that this figure showed the percentage income from the shares of this society, and that compensation for legal services could only be a round figure—330, 350, but in no case 329. The fateful number began appearing every day in the headlines of Democratic newspapers, and the document in which it was found was printed in millions of copies and circulated throughout the country with appropriate commentary. Gradually, this number became a true curse for the Republican candidate and began to pursue him at his heels. He began receiving numerous letters, the entire content of which consisted of the number 329 with a sign designating dollars, and some invisible hand began inscribing this number in all places where the general might appear. It appeared on the chair in which he sat in Congress, and on his desk. The entrance to his house was adorned with the monogram 329; the hateful number penetrated into his private study and decorated all the walls in it, and even crept into his bedroom and hung over his resting place like the sword of Damocles. Not enough. Rising in the morning and taking up his boots, he, to his horror, saw 329 on them. Setting out for his usual morning walk with his beloved dog, he noticed on its collar the very same antichrist number 329. Coming home and removing his coat, he saw in despair the antichrist number on his back. Setting out to his wife’s room for morning greetings, Garfield could only gasp upon seeing the accursed number 329 on her bonnet. In short, wherever he turned, everywhere he encountered the antichrist number 329. From him the accursed number spread throughout the country with the speed of electricity, and soon all the main leaders of the Republican party became its victims. Meanwhile, entire poems in honor of the mysterious number 329 appeared in Democratic newspapers, and many insinuations aimed at the unfortunate general. Among other things, it turned out that the sum 3+2+9 equals 14, and that is precisely the number of letters in Garfield’s name (James A. Garfield). From the Republican leaders, the antichrist number descended upon all Republicans in general, so that constantly one could see entire parties of gentlemen with the number 329 on their backs. Finally, it even penetrated the temple of science—the university. A respectable professor of mathematics, having drawn a geometric theorem on the board, turned to the students with a preliminary explanation of it. Finishing the introduction, he turned to the board for a practical demonstration of the theorem in the diagram and suddenly—was dumbfounded with astonishment: on the board, instead of the diagram, was inscribed a gigantic number 329. The Republicans were so alarmed by this unprecedented plague that they appointed special detectives to catch the mysterious hand writing the antichrist number everywhere. But the mysterious hand turned out to be uncatchable and continued to place the antichrist mark on the doors of Republican houses.

Then on the field of battle began a terrible exchange of blows over the so-called “Chinese letter.” Americans hate the Chinese terribly, and the working people consider them mortal enemies, since, arriving in large numbers in America, in extreme need they accept employment at low wages, contributing thereby to a general lowering of wages. In recent times the Chinese question has become so important that the government was forced to organize a special expedition to review the treaty with China concerning Chinese emigration with the goal of limiting it. Given such importance of the Chinese question, the question of what views the current presidential candidates held on it became very important. In satisfaction of public and popular demand, in their official letters outlining the political program of their future actions in case of election to the presidency, both expressed themselves on the Chinese question, both pointing out the abnormalities of Chinese resettlement, calling for a radical review of laws concerning it. Garfield expressed himself as follows: “The latest movement of Chinese toward our Pacific coast too much resembles the importation of Chinese to welcome it without restriction; too much resembles an invasion to regard it indifferently. We cannot allow any form of slave labor to be introduced among us under the guise of emigration.” These expressions clearly defined Garfield’s views on the Chinese question. But for politicians this matters not at all. An insignificant Democratic newspaper published a private letter of Garfield, addressed to a certain Morey, a member of the “union of employers” in the city of Lynn. The letter stated: “The Chinese problem is coming to business. In my opinion, the question of workers is a matter of private and corporate economy, and private persons or companies have the right to purchase labor wherever it is possible to obtain it more cheaply,”—and further it said that the treaty with China should be strictly preserved and its annulment would adversely affect American industry, depriving it of cheap labor. Obviously, this was completely opposite to the official statement. The Democrats, with unusual enthusiasm, seized upon this letter; facsimiles appeared in all newspapers, which indicated that it was Garfield’s handwriting. The question became very important. The Republicans were troubled, and the Democrats printed the letter in millions of copies and circulated it among the working people, for whom the Chinese question has special significance. Independent newspapers made an inquiry to Garfield himself, whether this letter truly belonged to him, and he delayed his answer, further increasing the confusion of his friends and the gloating of his enemies. Poor general had received so much slander that if he were to answer all of them, the world itself could not contain the written books. He had decided not to answer this letter either, but then the matter took on such a serious turn that he could not avoid a response and wrote an official letter in which he declared that he had never written such a letter, did not know the person it was addressed to, that the entire letter was a shameless forgery of his handwriting, and asked that detectives immediately be put to work to discover the “scoundrel” who perpetrated such a trick. Further investigation indeed showed that the letter was a conscienceless forgery, and was addressed to a person whom no one knows in his own city. Terrible indignation arose in the Republican camp. An entire legion of detectives was set in motion, and one Republican appointed a reward of 5,000 dollars to whoever found the forger. Meanwhile, the Democrats had been careless in going too far with this letter, and complete exposure of this vile trick became a noose around their neck. And that newspaper, which had first circulated this letter, took advantage of the trick for its own purposes. It began hysterically to tear and rage, declaring that Republican detectives with revolvers were invading its office and printing office, destroying the set type, fearing further exposures of the “criminal policy of Garfield,” and threatening death to the publishers and editors themselves—and thus, amid the uproar, sold triple the usual quantity of copies.