The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-03-01
DONN PIATT, The EDITOR or THE
"CAPITAL" EXPLAINS.

EDITOR OF STAR-As my paper is not
issued until next Sunday, permit me to
say word in response to the torrent Of
abuse that has fallen upon my head.
To those who know me it is not neces-
sary for me to say that nothing was fur
ther from my thought in penning the ed
itorial of last Sunday than the horrible
crime of assassination. Open resistance
to revolutionary wrong, for which there
seems no other resistance, is one thing
assassination is another. In the SEN
tence so strongly commented upon and
denounced, it will appear, when taken
in connection with what precedes and
follows, that my appeal is made to the
people, and not to the assassin. The
American people are not assassins, nor
will they tamely submit to wrong, Here
is what | said and again repeat:
LAS we said week since, this is not
law, it is revolution, and if the people
tamely submit we may bid long fare
we'll constitutional government. Fraud
no longer vitiates. A corrupt admins
tration has only, by its bayonets, to hold
State usurpation long enough in power
for corrupt returning board to do its
vile task, and the work is done.
"If a man thus returned to power can
ride in safety from the Executive Man
sion to the Capitol to be inaugurated
we are fitted for the slavery that will fol-
low the Inauguration.
1--WE do not believe the people of the
United States are of this servile sort. We
do not believe that they are prepared,
without blow, to part with their hard.
earned. blood stained possessions,
When the time comes that any other
sentiment than the above can be felt and
uttered, | for one, shall feel ashamed Of
my country. Rob the people of the bal
lot as these conspirators intend, and
what have we left?
In the above, however, l have only
put in words what the President has EN-
bodied in acts. In gathering troops at
the National Capital for the first time in
the history of the Republic to enforce an
Inauguration, he indicated the danger.
Then, to make the act the more signif
cant when it was apparent that Tilden
was to be installed, he ordered his troops
away. Mr.. Tilden, it seems, would
need no armed support. Then after
Justice Davis declined, and Bradley's
appointment revived the hopes of Hayes,
the order was countermanded and addi-
tional troops summoned to Washington.
If there is ASSASSINATION in my sugges-
ton there is assassination in the Presi-
dents acts. He appeals to his army,
appeal to the people.
Let me, in this suggestion, recall to
the horror stricken minds of these gen.
tlemen an event they seem to have for.
gotten. When the Presidents son and
brother in-law Casey came to my house
in the night to assault me, in the pres.
ence of my family, under circumstances
that made the attempt. had been at
home, simply atrocious, assassination
was regarded in a very cheerful light.
1t afforded ground for jesting to the very
journals that are now so indignant.
However, only seek to protest the
misconstruction put upon my words
None other than an insane man, or one
desperately wicked, would ever think of
assassination, let alone publicly advo-
cate the commission of so horrible
crime. Beyond this have nothing to
say. ask no odds of those people,
They are playing with dangerous ele-
ment when they openly innovate upon
right sanctioned by time and by the
blood of the people. They will have
enough to do in caring for themselves
without troubling me.
DOM PIATT.