Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1881-07-09
OUR STRICKEN PRESIDENT.

Gol, SuIlOuuuou W living
skillful men of science its chief magis-
trate lies PROSTATE, stricken down by
the hand of an assassin.
From the east, rom the west, from
the north, from tie south, from every
where in this country and all owe the
civilized world pour in messages OF
sympathy for the victim and adherence
for the murderer. Democrats and re
publicans forget IN this deep a%fhiction
their differences OF opinion, and only
remember that they are Americans,
that James A. Carried is president OF
the whole country, AMI that a blow at
his person is a blow at Me entire people.
The sorrow, grief AMI shame OF the
occasion are somewhat sssuaged by the
reflection that the deed is that of one
man, and not, so far as Is known. OF a
faction or a party. Thatit does not in.
dictate the Mexicanizatlon OF our institu-
tions by Introducing assassination as a
factor in our politics. 1t must be, ever
to republicans, a source OF qualification
that the criminal is guilty only as a
man, and not as a partisan. For, how
ever dearly we may love our party we
should love our country more. and moth
ing could more clearly indicate the
.acadence of our institutions, the failure
oil ou- great experiment Of s~eli-govern-
ment, tnan a knowledge hat parties
had come 10 the use OF the dagger and
the pistol as a means to secure political
ends.
To every patriotic man it must be
a shock to find that in tree America a
president Is apt to be assassinated, as
| we'll as Is a czar in autocratic Russia.
| But the cases are not analogous and
should not be made to appear so. In
Russia the czar represented a repressive
system alleged to be tyrannical. and his
assassins were %spplauded by millions OF
his countrymen. The crime was none
the less re~prehensible to all right think
ing people,, as a cowardly and unwar-
ranted means Of accomplishing an end.
But in this country the people enjoy all
the liberty that they desire. They are
governed by q constitution which they
can change whenever they choose so to
do. They are ruled by o man chosen oY
themselves. If there are maladies in the
body polite they will sooner or later be
remedied by popular opinion. There is
no state OF affairs that can justify in the
eve of the most extreme q resort to The
assassin's weapon; and the proof OF this
is found in the fact that even the COM
munists, socialists aud nlnllists among
us who applauded the killing OF the
czar have been silent and abashed amid
the hearts throbbing with indignation
at the brutal attack upon James A.
Garfield.
There is a lesson. however, which
should be drawn from the event. 1t is
the danger to be apprehended from a
system which every four years offers as
a reward for party zeal the n hundred
thousand federal offices Of the country,
Ii there are but an average Of three ap
plicants Tor each place. here are three
hundred thousand men who think they
are entitled for their services to consid
, Grafton. One third of them, say. are thu
incumbents OF the Offices. Meet OF these
have families dependent upeeasem. an'
few know how or where to turn to maxi
a livelihood if they lose their places
, The pale faces of wives and children
7 haunt them. Is it any wonder tina
a Guiteau is the result In all calmnes
and seriousness, without elimination o
recrimination, let the American peopl
heed the lesson. and seek for and appl
+ the remedy. Let every Office, which
not political IN that its admlnistratio
j, affects policies Of government, be take
q out of partisan contention. Let meri
+ determine who shall fill the places. nc
the politics OF the applicant, and let th
tenure OF Office, SO far as possible, b
during good behavior. Thus we ma
u hope to avoid such shameful and shame
less scrambles for Office as the on
which has been in progress in tn
country since last November.
In the mean time We have u wount
= ed with Us. Around and about him a.
the brave and loving arms OF his mob
mi wife, the tender solicltude of his agon
At zed children; and at every Preside In Il
L. land where a God is recognized II
,e prayers and supplications OF his con'
Or trymen and countrywomen. May it
ar the will of an all wise Providence
20 spare his life, and to restore him
OF health and strength, that he may 6ni
his administration with wisdom, al
In live to a green old age. happy in t
II. good will. OF a nation and the love of
rs model family.
DR.. Bliss told Attorney General M
Va,ph Wodnoedav that Preside