Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1881-07-08
The Great Crime.

The whole people throughout this grea
republic have been astounded and thrown
into grief by the criminal and cowardly
act of an cratic and irresponsible tramp
and disappointed office seeker The news
of the wicked and probably successful at
tempt upon the life of the President, has
been received throughout the country
with profound sorrow. From the South
as we'll as the North. the expressions OF
universal grief and sincere sorrow at the
wicked violence to the Executive of the
Republic have been numerous and un-
mistakable The citizens of all the States
have risen up as one people, and quite
above the level OF partisan differences, in
a sorrowing expression of sympathy for
the President. So great and overpower-
ing has been the sorrow of the people,
that but few expressions of indignatios
and anger toward the vile assassin have
been heard but, as the impression as to
the creatures insanity is gradually dis
PEELED, the popular indignation appears
to be rising TO fever heat.
This is the second time in the history
of our Republic that the people have been
shocked by murderous violence to the
person of the Executive. The former
ended fatally, and it must be admitted
that there is little hope of different re-
suit in the present sad case. The assas-
sin of President Lincoln, like the vile per-
pstrator of the late great crime, was an
cratic and aimless drone in the hive of
human society. New, as then. the death
of the President would involve great
political calamity to the country, and
now, as then, the South will probably be
the greater sufferer from the act. The adj
ministration policy Of President Garfield
has not been sufficiently developed to
form a correct judgement concerning it,
but his acts and utterances thus far have
encouraged the hope that he would not
. exercise the powers of his high office in
entire subserviency to partisan ends. In
deed the evidences have been encourag-
ing of an intelligent and conscientious ap-
probation on the part of the Executive OF
his responsible duties, and that he was in
clined to measure the strength of the Gov
eminent by the terms of the constitution,
rather than the political manifestoes of
party. In the event of the Presidents
death, he will be succeeded in the execu-
tive office by an undoubted exponent of
the s'stalwart'' theories of the Republican
party, and revival of terrors OF Grantism
in the South may be looked for as prob
able consequence. 1t is apparent how
ever. that the ''stalwart" element are in a
decided minority, even in their own party
and it is to be hoped that their influence
for evil is not so great as in the days of
Grant.
The moral to be drawn from the great
crime is two-fold. The horrible act of
the assassin demonstrates two important
truths, the one social the other political.
First, that rigorous measures should be
adopted to put an end to vagrancy in So
ciety; second, that the civil service of the
Government should be divorced from pol
itics,
Vagrancy, and the existence of idle
drones who pursue aimless and Grant
lives, is great affection upon society
and the common interests of mankind ur
gently demand that it should be checked
10 Of sy,1i Il
ual liberty in the pursuit of happiness
should not be carried to dangerous and
absurd extent. If parents, to whom is en-
trusted the natural guardianship of youth,
were intelligent and faithful in the dis
charge of their responsible trust, that class
of depraved humanity to which Guiteau
belongs would be very scarce in society.
If parents properly appreciated their sa-
cred duty of rearing and educating their
children in virtue, intelligence and NOR
atty, and providing for them at manhood
some useful avocation, suited as we'll as
their means admit to their capacities and
inclinations, then might the pursuit of
prosperity and happiness be well left to
the free discretion of the individual ; but
when parents, as is SO frequently the case,
prove incompetent for, or neglectful of
their trust, then should society, in the
exercise of its undoubted right. interfere
and take the guardianship of youth away
from such parents, and through public
agencies, bring them up so as to fill the
station of good citizens and useful men,
bers of society. This is to some extent
practiced in many of the States, but not
with sufficient yigilence. This is pre-
ventive measure. As a remedial measure,
stringent vagrant laws should be enacted
and vigorously enforced.
If the employment of agents for the
public service had been regulated by the
same rules of qualification and fitness as
are practiced by private establishments
and corporations, this assassin would not
have been found importuning the Presi-
dent for places for which he is totally IN
qualified, and being melted by revenge
and disappointment into taking his lite.
This terrible crime is traceable directly to
the Ubiquitous "speils SYSTEM" which it
must be admitted, MIR. Garfield has done
little to repress. So long as the strength
of the individuals "claims" to appoint
ment to civil offices, depends upon his
idea of value of his services to the party
in power, SO long will dangerous compli-
cations grow out of this matter. In the
name of truth and justice and national
safety, let the "spoils system" be abol
ished forever.
quite Ingenious.