The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-12-09
POLITICS AND THE au1rEAu CASE.

POLITICS AND THE GUITEAU CASE.
The Washington correspondents are be-
ginning to intimate that the acquital of Gui-
teau on the ground of insanity would not
be altogether displeasing to the members
of the 'sstalwart" wing of the Republican
party who have just scored triumph in
the election of Mr.. Keifer to the Speaker,
ship of the House. It is altogether inn
probable that the President has expressed
| any wish upon the subject, because any
such expression from him would be at once
highly indecent and highly indiscreet, and
indece1cy and indiscretion are two Of
fen ses which the American people feel
quite secure that the President will not com
nit, But the political necessities of the
case must be at least as evident to the
President as to those stalwarts who have
already announced their perception that
upon the whole the least awkward out
come of the trial of Guiteau for the
Presidents faction of the Republican party
would be declaration that jury believed
Guiteau to be insane.
An incident of yesterdays trial will suf
fee to illustrate this point. Guiteau, with
that modesty which becomes him SO well,
expressed a desire in court that unless the
President had made other arrangements he
would appoint Mr. Emory Storrs his at
torney general. Guiteau magnanimously
added that this was the first favor he had
acIy off hr al ha III
tied a consciousness that his claims
upon the President were of the first impor-
tance, and that the first personal favor he
asked ought to. be granted as unquestion-
ingly as General Grant considered that the
first batch of favsrs he asked of President
Garfield ought to be granted. Everybody
understands the claim which General Grant
imagined himself to have upon President
Garfield. Without General Grants assist
ance General Garfield would not have been
yesterday put forward in so a1luring
manner is precisely of the same nature.
Without his assistance General Arthur
would not now be President.
Now, Mr.. Emory Storrs has been
mentioned for the Attorney Generalship
by persons whose sanity is not disputed.
l. is not flattering Mr.. Storrs at all to say
that Guiteau's present candidate fol. the
Attorneyship is much more creditable than
was Guiteau's candidate last spring for the
Austrian mission and the Consulship at
Paris. 1t is perfectly conceivable that the
President has settled in his own mind
upon Storrs as the most fit and harmon
izing person whom he can appoint to be
Attorney General. In that case, shall the
President allow the fact that Mr.. Storrs
is Guiteau's candidate as well as his own
to prejudice him against that presumably
worthy man? Or shall he appoint Gui-
teas candidate, and thus give the half
breed Republicans an opportunity of say
ing that Guiteau knew what he was about
when he was inspired" to remove" the
Presidents predecessor? In other words,
shall Guiteaus claims" be permitted to
interfere with the policy Of the Admins
ton which owes it's being to Guiteau.
In this particular case, the recommends
ton of Guiteau will doubtless make an
end of whatever chances Mr.. Emory Storrs
might otherwise have had. Either as the
candidate of a murderer or as the candi-
date of maniac, Attorney General Storrs
would cast certain gloom over the admin
istration of which he formed part. But
it would undoubtedly be much easier for
the President to take his own course, not |
merely in this case but in many eases more
or less akin to it, if 0uiteau were pro-
nounced insane. Amy man would rather
be the beneficiary of an accident than of a /
crime and there is here no middle ground. |
1t is impossible to find man who does |
not regard Guiteau with q feeling of active /
Ioathing which would be not merely un-
reasonable but cruel if Guiteau were IRE
sponsible for the killing of Garfield, for
his own demeanor in court or for any Of
the events of his entirely raseally career.
The sta1warta would only be relieved Of
heir embarrassment if they could make
people believe Guiteau irresponsible for the
Killing of Garfield And that, it is
perfectly clear, they will never succeed in
loing.
KFTFFr