PUCK, December 22d. 1880. There are few more tragic or startling pages in our political history than those which record Mr. Garfield’s brief career as the national leader of his party. Nominated for President in the Chicago Convention of 1880, after the collapse of the Grant Third-Term Movement, (although it was generally supposed that he was too firmly committed to the interests of Senator Sherman to enter the lists on his own account,) he was elected in November, after a somewhat heated campaign, during which much publicity was given to his unfortunate dealings with the CrÉdit-Mobilier people and other objectionable speculators. His opponent was General Hancock, a soldier and a gentleman of unblemished reputation. He owed his defeat partly to certain utterances concerning the tariff question which, though just in themselves, were injudicious in view of the popular sentiment of the time; partly to the wide-spread distrust of the Democratic party that then prevailed, and partly, as Mr. S.W. Dorsey, one of Mr. Garfield’s campaign-managers, most gratuitously and indecently announced after election, to wholesale bribery in the State of Indiana. (This was the notorious “Soap” Dorsey, so called from his using “soap” as a euphemism for bribe-money.)

By a permissible pictorial license, the artist, in Puck of December 22nd, 1880, represents the President-Elect as already quartered within the White House, distributing the spoils of office as presents from a Christmas tree. Around him are the leaders of the Republican party: General Grant, Senator John Sherman, Don Cameron, General Logan, Vice-President Chester A. Arthur, and Carl Schurz in the foreground; James G. Blaine and Marshall P. Jewell (the collector of the campaign-fund) in a corner. The shadow of Roscoe Conkling’s head and of the ambrosial curl which was supposed still to linger on his brow, is thrown upon the side of the window-casing, but from what quarter it is projected is difficult to determine. Mr. Conkling’s attitude toward the new administration was dubious and peculiar.

Outside, in the cold Winter night, are the Democrats gazing hungrily into the lighted windows. The head of Mr. W.H. English, the defeated candidate for Vice-President, rises from a barrel, supposed to represent the large fortune which alone gave him any political standing. Mr. James Gordon Bennett appears in the character of a sportsman who has brought down a large owl-like bird having the features of Mr. John Kelly—the New York Herald was credited with having obtained the local victory over the Tammany leader. “Up in a tree,” are Tilden, Wade Hampton, L.Q.C. Lamar, Chairman Barnum of the Democratic Committee, General B.F. Butler (constructively a Democrat, for cartoon purposes), and Thomas F. Bayard.

“To the man of statelier figure, who stands outside, but not among the shivering crowd of malcontents,” Puck wished that year a Merry Christmas; and hoped that there would be many Merry Christmases for him, if not in the White House, at least “in the place where he well served the country.” The wish was vain: General Hancock died not long after.