Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-08-18
A Strong Government,

terrible tragedy at Washington has Civ.
en- fresh encouragement to the advo.
Gates of what is vaguely styled ''Strone
Government" No sooner were the first
confused accounts of the attempt upon
the life of the President transmitted by
telegraph than these upholders OF
''Strong Government rushed to the
conclusion that it was the act of con.
spiracy of Nihilists. or Communists, OF
other imaginary enemies of political
and social order in this country. Gen
eral Grant, who may be regarded as the
chief exponent of the notion of Strong
Government, exclaimed at once that this
must be the work of an insane man or
a Nihilist, and added with emphasis,
80 if a Nihilist, it is time that Nihilism
should be put down." The excited ed
itOr who never saw Nihilist except in
his dreams echoes the cry of Grant
and insists that 6 Nihilism must be
stamped out" What these imaginary
| Nihilists or COmmunistic conspirators
could gain by the assassination of Pres
! ident Garfield and the succession of
Vice-President Arthur has not Deen
satisfactorily explained, but very lit
tie reason and common sense goes a
great ways among the advocates of a
- SLfOu1 IOVernmoQC.
The advocates of ..StrOng Govern
ment'' in this country have never yet
| presented the faintest outline of plan
for it's establishment We know that
with those who most frequently mouth
the phrase it is nothing more than the
expression of their hatred of popular
liberty. But if asked how they would
check this popular liberty SO as to
\ fhosr hat L.. II 81
a s. Strong Government they are silent.
They certainly do not insist on the an
Inhalation of the States and the CEN
tralization of all political power at
| Washington. A little reflection in this
crisis would teach them that the rights
of the States cannot be restrained with
out inviting the greatest dangers. If
the executive head of the General
Government should be cut off the State
Governments remain for the protection
of life and property of the citizens and
for the preservation of political and So
cial order. To destroy the State Gov
ernments would be to rush into an
archy or despotism. The advocates of
a ''Strong Government cannot seri-
ously propose to restrain the right of
suffrage. This could not be done with
out the submission of the majority,
and there are no recorded instances
of the majority voluntarily surrendering
their political rights upon the request
of the minority.
Since the advocates of 'Strong Gov
ernment' in this country have never
presented the faintest outline of a po-
litical programme we are left only to
conjecture concerning their meaning
beyond the fact that they have an igno-
rant hatred of popular Government, or
of what they contemptuously term 1.-THE
rule of the mob.'' Probably Russia
presents their ideal of a - Strong Govern
ment." But this Government of their
admiration is undergoing some severe
trials. The Imperial Master of all the
Russia's is prisoner in his own domin-
ions, and he can find liberty and repose
only in fleeing yond their limits. He
is surrounded day and night by his Cos
sacks. He can drink no wine until
others have tasted it. He can eat no
food until some one else has chewed it.
Even then the Sovereign Master OF Rus
STA is not safe from dynamite, or the
dagger, or poison. Not one crazy Gui-
teau, but ten thousand Russians have
devoted themselves to the destruction
of the Gar. These are not insane be-
yOAo GllC IldouCSS "ulCI uCSpOGiSAl
spires in the breasts of the wise. Nor
are they brutal and degraded serfs.
But they are among the enlight-
ened and cultivated people of Rus
STA. In that country political assas-
sination has rational motive and
political revolution is duty. In this
country the political assassin is
lunatic whose insanity is so obvious
that he should long ago have been con-
fined in madhouse. To generalize
upon the character of the political in
stitutions of the country from this alb
normal and isolated crime of a mailman
and to argue that there should be
"Strong Government" is mere nom
sense. To Guiteau's added brain the
death of President Garfield was "a
political necessity in order to unite
the Republican party. Those who find
the cause of Guiteau's crime in the
political institutions of the country do
not reason more coherently. Excess
of religious enthusiasm has often pro-
duced insanity in weak minds, but that
is no argument against the Christian
religion. Political excitement operating
upon the feeble minded egotist Guiteau
has impelled him to this terrible crime.
But that proves nothing against the po-
litical institutions of the country. 1t is
truism, verified by all political expe-
rience, that that Government is strong
est which rests on the consent of the
governed and none deserves this
definition of ''Strong Govern
ment" so much as that of the
United States. Notwithstanding the
alarm caused by the crime of
Guiteau there is nothing in the polit-
ical system of this country which calls
for the intervention of the foolish advo-
Gates of "a Strong Government y
Harrisburg (Pd.) fat'sot.
1t may interest smokers to know
that New York Judge has just decid-
ed that man has a right to punch a
smoker in the ribs with the end of his
umbrella if he ''puffs the smoke of
bad cigar in his face. even if i! is in a
smoking-car." The smoker who sued
had to pay costs.
st. Louis bakers are on strike
and are lOatino aronpd ouphinU Moth