The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-07-03
KILLED sx srALwAaTIsng

The following editorial was written
at the time President Garield's death
was announced. As the sentiments
expressed are yet appropriate, the arti-
Gle is printed IS 1t vas written.
The news that the president of the
United States had been assassinated
created q genuine sensation in Chey-
enne yesterday, as it did elsewhere.
At first people were disposed TO regard
it as q hoax. but when the eonfrmato-
ry news came, the feelings Of the people
we're worked up to a high pitch.
Speculation was rife as to the cause.
The majority hit upon the solution at
once, namely, that the assassination
was the result of the fractional fight in
the republican party. But when later
news came tending to disproye this
theory, all were glad, since it were a
lasting disgrace upon our fair republic
to have q president slain by a citizen,
who was actuated solely by partisan
bias.
There was no possible excuse for the
assassination. When the lamented
Lincoln was slain the country was d.
vided in civil war, and a hot headed
insane zealot shot President lincoln In
the hope of restoring the warning for
tunes of the lost cause. But now the
country is at peace and enjoying an era
of prosperity unprecedented In the his
tory Of the government.
The only explanation of this saddest
OF sad affairs, is that given by the as
sassin himself. He was the ''stalwart
OF stalwartsn, and desired, as he ex-
presses 1t, to harmonic the republican
party. The assassination is clearly
then, the outgrowth of the fractional
fight Of the stalwarts against President
Garfield.
Now, no one OF sense would think
Of connecting Grant, or Conkling or
Arthur or Brady or Dorsey or any
other leading stalwart, directly. with
this unholy outrage. But that they
are indirectly responsible, is as clear as
the MONDAY sun. They have waged
an unrigh!eous warfare on President
Garfield, and, through the rostrum, the
stump and the press, have -maligned
the president as no president was eve
abused before. They condemned him
as q betrayer and a tyrant. And es-
pecially was this true In Washington,
where the press. with but a single ex-
ception, has been belying him for sew
eral months past. The result is that
fanatics have been workedu up to a fren-
sied pitch and they have been led 10
believe that President Garfield was a
foe to the nation and unspeakably
t~reacherous to his party. Gltteau was
only more rabid than other fanatics
and, In furtherance of the false senti-
ment that had been created by the stall
warts, he sought to kill President Gar
field, and thus make the stalwart vice
president, Arthur, president of the
United States.
1t is safe 10 say that If the stalwarts
had never forced their false sentiments
on the people and taught fanatics to
believe that President Garfield was an
uncomfortable tyrant, the assassina-
ton would have taken place.
The responsibility, therefore, must be
placed upon the stalwarts, for the as
s~assination Is but the natural out
growth Of their low and bitter hostility.
That this result will prove the death
blow to stalwartism, is as certain as
the sun is shining. And when any
school or faction works men up to the
condition Of numbering a president it
not only should fall, but its promoters
should be condemned and disgraced.
Stalwartism has all along shown
itself to consist of a blindly devoted ad-
herence to the single principle of office
getting. Those 308 delegates who went
to Chicago, not in the best interests of
the republican party or Of the country,
but solely to nominate Gen. Grant; the
actions Of Conkling and Plat resigning
their seats In the United States senate
because they could not control Presi-
dent Garfield In the matter Of federal
appointments In New York; all this
shows that the handspring of stalwart-
ism Is greed Of office, and 1t has no
holier motive than spoils.
KILLED by stalwartism" Is the ap.
propriate epitaph for President Gar
FIELDS grave. Gitteau was a mere
Hind t0Ol. nm inafrnnapt nf ota1ua RI