The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1881-12-02
GUITEAU AS 4 CRIMINAL

disGOTged their thousands OF wOrshlppCTs.-
Our festival of thanksgiving is past, but an
other is near at hand in the promise of
merry Christmas.
GUITEAU As A CRIMINAL.
You are now. l presume, satisfied of the
fact that assassin Guiteau is crazy, since it
has been given in evidence that one of his fe-
male relatives wore the same style of bonnet
for a number Of years. Surely no further
proof OF GuiteauS insanity is needed than
the story of that cranial apparel which made
his lady cousin so singular.
There never was in this country, or in any
country OF the world, a case in which public
opinion was 80 unanimous in the conviction
OF q prisoners guilt, or in which there was
50 profound a deteStatIOn Of both the cTimi-
nal and his crime, as there are Of Guiteau
and his dastardly OfeuSe. Yet the murder
er Of our dead President was in no danger
from any Illegal combination OF our citizens.
THe attempts made upon his miserable life
were the acts OF acknowledgements no
body but themselves, and who, there Is every
reason to believe, were not ia their right
minds. That there were men in -he COmmu-
nifty eager TO take the law into their own
hands, and especially IN a case which had
exercised such Widespread feeling OF ndiC-
nation, that of Guteau's casts no reflection
upon our American civilization, Tor does it
brand the Americans with shame. The law
abeylng spirit IS one Of the most cOmmenda-
BILE traits of the American character To
custody OF his keepers by a mob and lynched
would have been disgrace to the country
but should he have been suddenly and vio-
lcntiy shot or stabbed by some crank" in
spite OF all possible precautions for his safe
ty, such an occurrence would not bring dis
grace OF discredit to the Government or the
people of the United States. Such a termi-
nation of the Garfield tragedy would, how
ever, have been 4 matter of regret. That
there were no organized attempts whatever
10 L. . he af ha lav
anu wreak vengeance upon him is a cOuspic-
uUus proof OF popular fuTbearauce and of
the general reliance upon the legally pro-
scrioed Methods for dealing with assasSins.
PENSION ARREARS AND PENSION FRAUDS.
The great demands on the National Treas
uTv should move Congress to enact an ap-
pTOprlate measure Of the kind suggested by
Dudley, the late Commissioner OF Pensions,
and stTenuOuSIy opposed by pension agents
and their representatives in the Washing gton
lobby. The arrears bill is cons -itutiOnally
iTTeuealabe and some other legislation
should be passed to protect the Government
against pension frauds. The Pension Ar
redrs act, which was passed by weak Con
gress and signed by fraudulent President.
has mads a huge addition to the public debt.
The arrears act Is an infamous piece OF iegis-
lation, under which invalid soldiers, or the
representatives OF deceased soldiers, obtain
mere fraction of the vast amount of money
expended
CONSTANT VIGILANCE.
Geasge NJ. Dallas, in his talk to the YonnQ
Mems Democratic Association of this ci:v
urges the yOnng Democrats to stand by the
party and to follow where the principles OF
the party lead. Even If the party Is com.
PEELED to wait for twenty years, constant
vigilance will bring it to success The Dem
cratic party Is the conservative partv of the
country. All Democrats should stOutly on
pose the efforts being made towards central
IzatloD, as such a form of government is in.
imicaI TO our free institutions
THE GUBERNAToRIAL ISSUE.
The Gubernatorial issue in PENNSYLVANIA
is prominently looming up. MANY are al
ready looking for II, and few are intriguin.
for 1t. The office of Governor for a fouI
years term, at $40, 900 a year is very desirn
bic If the people of PennsvlvanIa wan
the best kind of reform they should look Owe
the field carefully to find the best man 70
that high and responsible Office This i q
far greater importance than following tn,
lead of any special faction. Prominence il
leadership in parties Is not matter of ma
chinery, but of personal worth and ability =
1t Is sincerely TO be hoped that the mex
Democratic State Convention will not noml
nate leader of any faction for Governor -
An embittered fight against party leaders
even when they are right, tends to harm b
endangering party unity but square igf
against party leaders when they are wronI
the heading off OF bad candidates or the prf
Sentatinn and urgency OF conSpicuOusly goo
men, does tend to elevate the party an
compel pure methods and proper candidate.
The great point Of interest with the DemC
Gratis OF Pennsylvania now is not who doe
or does not lead, but their candidate fl
GOvernOr--the grade and worth of the ma
presented for their suffrages is the real poin
The principle affirmed to be involved is thf
OF the right of the people to an untrammelle
choice of candidates, which they cen no,
have if they will avail themselves Of the ol
{ poTtunity.
EDGAR CONAN FOR GOVERNOR
There would be a peculiar pI opriety i'm Il
selection by the Democratic State Conve
tion as its nominee for Governor of a me-
! like eI Senator Edgar Covan. No man
equal prominence In the country has pu
sued "A more uniform and consistant cour
z in the United States Senate than did Edg
: Cowsn. He was removed at once from q
ultraism of the stalNart and the fre-eate
= and free from bids toward either Northe
G or southern sectionalism. Mr.. Cowan
United states Senator protested against q
, ira constitutional methods in the conduct
q the w&r, and discharged his duty as a Nort
- ern man to the Union with more true bra,
: ~ and stern honesty than any man i'm II
body. Mr.. Cowan stood brave and al
medietor hetween the estranred sections