Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-07-21

which becomes his position and Is III
accord with his best convictions, he
will receive encouragement and sup.
port from all quarters.
4 SYSTEM WHICH MAKES POLITICAL MADMES,
The New York Times, commenting
on the assassination, moralizcs as fol-
lows:
Is there nothing in our political
methods calculated to bring forth
from the possibilities of madness and
of villainy that pervade the country
the impulse TO strike at the visible
head of authority which is so easy to
reach Every time Il new President
comes into office crowd is attracted
to Washington, made up of persons
seeking appointments. A large por-
ton of these must Of necessity be dis
appointed. Among them are likely
to be some of the many liable to men,
tai disorder and morbid impulse, and
the experience they undergo is calcu.
lated to urge them to the worst of
which they are capable. Who shall
venture to say that the process Of Of
fce-flling as at present conducted Is
not precisely adapted to evolve just
such assassins as this Guitcau
If we take the most charitable view
of the crime of Saturday; if we say
that nothing could be further from the
wish of the most passionate and preju-
diced of partisans if we say that no
probable exigency OF the future would
suggest to any political faction the
promotion Of its ends by such hldcous
means: if we allow, even, that Gui-
teau was an irresponsible luuatic, with
no motive or conscious purpose, still
the facts will remain that he was at.
tractcd to Washington by the hope of
office that he was disappointed in his
/ quest, and that he gave evidence of a
belief that he served the purpose of a
political faction by his horrible act.
Ii wc had a rational system for filling
vacant Offices, and if the accession of
/ q new President gave no occasion for
unusual changes i'll the ranks Of the
/ public service, the army OF office
seeker, with it, possible lunatic. and
/ potential a-sas-ius, would not exist.
I If our political contests were conduct
cd without exciting the bascr and
and more violent passions of men,
they would hc lc.- likely to produce
+ di.ordcrcd brains and uubrid.ci i'm
F pulses. 1t Is generally admitted that
the national character has improved
rather than dcgcueratcd in the year
that are past. The general level of
/ intelligence and of moral tone j. GER
taiuly not lower than a generation ago,
and yet the a,pcrity of our political
conflicts has increased. SANDER, abuse,
corruption, and all evil devices have
been used more aud more for the pur.
pose of securing party or personal
ends in politics The reason Is not
far to seek. 1t brings us again to the
system of office-flling which makes
the public service the goal of the
sordid and the selfsceking, and creates
n competition in the race that rouscs
cupidity. jealousy, hate, aud all the
evil passions of men. 30 long as we
continue to make political madmcn wc
are liable to have political assassins.
. 7uE sruIls SYSTEM vusT IL SWEET Away.
The Philadelphia Erening Telegram
/ [Rep.J says;
There never was anything more
certain than that if the spoil- system
is not swept away or placed within
safer bounds that it will sweep away
all popular rights.
THE TrrryT.
The New York Sun diagnoses pop
ular sentiment rs follows
The brutal attempt upon the Pre-i-
dents life has produced consequences
very different from those anticipated
by the crazy assassin. In the first
place the President is still alive, with
well.groundcd hopes Of his complete
recovery and in the second place. he
is at this hour the most popular man
in America, and if he lives he will. for
some time at least, be much more in.
I nuential than he could have been had
those shots never been fired. The
murder of Mr.. Lincoln filled the peo-
pie with rage, and intensified the al
ready partisan feelings of the time.
Thus it postponed the day of peace
and restoration until n long series of
desperate party battles had been
fought out But this effect upon Pres.
ident Garfield has had an effect pre-
cisely opposite. While it sent a thrill
of horror through the country, it has
excited no political resentment. On
the contrary, party divisions seem for
the moment to have disappeared be-
fore this bloody deed and oil feel it
alike, and all postpone every other
public consideration in anxiety for the
! life of the President.
When Gen. Garfield rises from the