Litchfield enquirer., 1881-07-14
The Danger Escaped.

The attempt of Guiteau on the life of the Presedent stirred the hearts of the people to an extent for which neither their natural horror of the un-American crime of l assassination, nor their personal regard for MT. Garfield, will fully account. It would have undone the great work accomplished by the Chicago convention it would have giv- en Grantism the presidency at a time when Grantism had made itself peculiarly odious in the arrogance of Conkling and in the subservi- ency of Arthur. The Republican faction which cast over 300 votes at Chicago has never been SO weak and so odious to the great majority of Republicans as it has become since the AL bany contest. MT. Arthur's efforts in behalf of the ex-Senators, though they might have been pardoned in private adherent of fail ing cause, aroused general disgust as they ex- hiblted Vice President of the United States playing the part of henchmsn to ''boss" whom nine Republicans out of ten were glad to zee driven from power. The death of Gar field would seem certain to place not only his enemies, but the enemies of the Republican party, in control of the Government, during eleven twelfths 0f Presidential term. It would re-establish the power of most un- popular, most dangerous faction in the piv- otal State of the Union. It would leave the United States Senate in a condition of perma- nent dead lock for two years. It would seem certain to ensure the disruption of the Repub- lican party. ..-....
 Mir. Arthur seems fully aware ofthe general dread, not to say odium, with which his admin istration would have been embarrassed at the outset. That he has something more than earnestly desired the recovery of the Presi- dent we are glad to believe. That his admin istratlons might have been more satisfactory one than people have believed possible, we think more than probable. That it could have ever been popular, no one could reasonably expect. The removal of Mir. Conkling from the Albany contest to be the premier of the new government would have seemed the most natural result of Mir. Arthur's special con6- dence in the ex-Senator. Could the Republi- can party, could the nation, ever have become reconcied to such promotion, brought about by an assassination which MT. Conklipg's en- venomed opposition may have suggested to the scoundrel who accomplished it?
 That Grantism infinitely more distastefu to the intelligent masses of the Republican party than in 1880, backed by all the power of pat ronage, would be able to control the Republi- can party, we are far from believing. That Grantism accidentally in power should use that power for the destruction of the party it no longer could control, is precisely what we should expect of rule or ruin policy which MT. Conkling has so long and so desperately pursued. Unfortunately there is nothing in the career of MT. Arthur as Vice President which could lead to a reasonable expectation thst he would throw off the Conklng yoke as President. We are not without hope that he may do so, if the emergency occurs but we could claim nothing more than possbil. ity, certainly not probability, that such 8 hope could ever be realized Distrust of his successor, then, has added immensely to the public anxiety for the recovery of the Presi- dent
 In their hatred of Conkling there is little danger that shrewd Republicans will fall in love with BIaine-clearly the evil genius of the Garfield administration. We are not like ly to forget that two factions were disappoin- ted in the nomination of Garfield and that to considerable extent, the Albany contest is fight between those factions. Even if he survives the bullet of Stalwart assassin, Mir. Garfield will never stand on firm ground with tho carneet, honees mon nf his marty till he makes it evident that in crushing Conk- ling he is not slevating Blaine. There will never be better chance than the present to strike at the roots of the spells system by proposing some general plan of appointments that will rescue the public service from all party bosses. The experience of four months is said to have made civil service reformers of several of the present cabinet who have never before favored any such policy. Blaine is not included in the num- Der. He is the "boss" in power as MT. Conk- ling is the boss out of power.
 The President will naturally consider the situation from different point of view. It is the spells system that has brought him to deaths door. Guiteau's attempt is the not al- together unnatural explosion of the office seek ing, stalwart discontents with which the at- nosphere of Washington has been for several months overcharged. The streets of that city swarm with disappointed, desperate men who l need but little to incite them to some act of desperation. CivilService reform will remove that danger to the lives of presidents.