Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-07-09
SPO:pptiOD for the Office

The case of the assassin Guiteau. when II shall
come before the court for trial will attract uni
versal attention 1t will involve most important
questions. and. perhaps, impress the people of
this country with the necessity of providing i'm
some manner, for the protection of their chief
magistrate from such dangers as that which
struck down President Garfield The republican
theory that all men are equal in this government;
that the huinbiest individual in the land is en-
titled TO the same consideration in the law and
before the law. az the most exalted has
hitherto been an accepted and acceptable
tenet OF the American citizens political
faith; but, in the past we have ielt secure
In the belief that the most exalted of
our citizens, whether in public or private life
was as safe from danger and violence as
the humhleSt. In this belief laws for the
special protection of those high in authority
would have been regarded as inyidious. if not
as positive reflection upon our government
and our people. The country has been most
rudely awakened from its dream of fancied Sc
curity President. invested with office by the
declared will Of the people in the specified man.
ner: whose administration, though covering
only few months. had received tine unqualified
approval OF a vast sna jority of the people, in
Guiding those who differed from it in political
sentiment, was shot down in the nations cap
isal while surrounded as it were by all
the forces and machinery of law which are
supposed TO protect every citizen and
stranger in life and property. Once be-
fore q President fell victim to the
assassin's ballet; but that was at time
when civil war had heated the passions of men
and filed their hearts with bitterness In their
patriotism. in their answering devotion to the
government their fathers had founded. the
American people chung, in the midst of their
grief for the martyred Lincoln. to their faith
In government of the people. by the people
and for the people" The brutal bloody deed
was attributed 70 cabal of c0war,iiy conspira-
tors. whose Infamous crime was TIE outgrowth
OF the abnormal state of affairs attendant upon
Rebellion and civil war. There were none who
appFehended tine repetition of that frightful
crime IN time OF profound peace and almost
Cnexanped prosperity. The shooting down
OF President Garfield has convinced the
thinking classes. that some means of protec-
ton must he provided for the country's chosen
rulers against such assassins as Guiteau The
coming trial OF the wOUll-be assassin win show.
among other things how easy it was for
Guiteau 10 carry ont his murderous pur-
pose. There was nothing either in law or
custom to keep him or any other person
from the Presidents person. The Presi-
dent went to the depot. entered the building
and was proceeding 20 the train in the same
plain and simple style that any unknown obscure
man would have adopted He was as easy of
access az any obscure man would have been He
was shot down solely because of the high office
he held in trust Tor the American people and il
Is the Office. Hot the man, that the people will
Insist upon protecting in future.