The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-09-04

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1879.
The recent assassination of Henry
NJ. Dixon, at Yazoo, Mississippi, is OK.
citing considerable comment through
ont the north and west, and judging
from the tone Of sho press everywhere,
the fiendish act will fall far short of the
object which 1t sought to accomplish.
Under the political code OF Mississip-
pi, one is no doubt guilty of . henio rs
offense If he announces himself an in
dependent candidate against the regular
Democratic nominee but the people of
the north, without tho conclusive owl
dence offered by the case alluded to,
would scarcely have believed, that even
the people of Yazoo would justify the
assassination of a prominent citizen.
simply because his independent csndi-
dacy threatened the defeat of tho regu-
lar Democratic nominee.
Our old fogy people who have been
labor,ng under the erroneous impress
sion that the idle guarantee of life, lib
erty and the pursuit of happiness, was
significant, have not heretofore appre-
ciated the breadth of the exception
which renders it nugatory. They never
before understood that citizen could
invoke the protection of this guarantee
only so long as his presence upon this
mundane sphere was not obnoxious to
some candidate upon the regular Demo-
cratic ticket. The old maxim "Better
late than never" is peculiarly applicable
to this case, and this arrival, though
tardy, at such an Interpretation of the
Fundamental law Of the land suggests
. train of thoughts to the fogy mini,
which might otherwise have never
sprung into existence.
Why should We as o people, extend
40 invitation to "the weak, the down.
trodden. and oppressed" of foreign
chimes to seek in our midst refuge from
the tyranny of despots while our own
citizens are subject to the vilest oppress-
,on, the most malignant tyranny? Why
should we boast of our powers as .
nation while powerless to protect our
citizens in their dearest rights' Why
should we glory in the renown. OF our
ancestors when the degeneracy of tie
offspring should work their disenheri-
lance? Why should We pirate Of our
progress when the brigand Of the Dark
Ages would shrink in disgust from the
cowardly act which now makes hero?
Why should we brsg Of civilization
which lionizes murderer
These may by some be considered
mere idle conun drums, but the attempt
to solve them brings US us ris with
the sad reflection that our Wanted re-
public must DO after oil myth. Can
that DO called government of the poo
pie WEIGH meets with the deadly bullet
Of the assassin every attempt to per.
init the people TO govern Can that DO
denominated q republic wherein allegi.
ance to the government is not tolerated
save in the manner indicated by party
caucus? Is that free people no one of
whom dare claim for himself the privi-
ieges guaranteed them by tho law +?
Heretofore We have been prone to con-
slider that the majesty of the law hedged
the life of the citizen with certain pro.
lection. The Car of Russia dare not
sacrifice lite without some form Of law,
but the fatal ukase promulgated from
the secret session of Democratic eau
Gus bids the law defiance, and in its
tram wall the widow and orphan boreft
of their sire by its stern DEGREES.
The Democrats of Yazoo in their un-
seemly task to apologize for the assassin
hit upon the pusilianimous plan of foul.
" traducing their victim. This conduct
is oven baser than that which it at.
tempts to excuse.
Although DIXON was shot in the
back, there was slight possibility that
he might turn upon his assailant and
euualize matters somewhat before he
yielded up his lite; but now he Is pow
erless to protect himself from the van
ds!s who are pursuing him.
The late Democratic Congress was
violent in it's efforts to parsly re the fed
eral power. Local self-governnent and
freedom from federal interference was
the burthen OF their text. Unless these
two things were guaranteed they pro-
posed to stop the wheel OF. government
and starve the executive into submission. |
1t now appears that by the autonomy
of states they meant the supremacy |
Of the Democratic party aud BY free
ballot they meant one free from all but !
Democratic votes. A great number of
10 Republicans have tenderly nurtured
The belief that the fire caters of the
ooath bad learned moderation from tho
laas uDpleasantness, and that if the
Uaitsd States troops should DO called
away and the local governments left
20 themselves, that all would |
DO serene and the south would prosper.
Tho false premise invalidates the con.
clusion. The 6fe-eater belongs to
class which has gained the scmo of hu-
man knowledge and never learns any.