Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-07-21

factory basis until it is regulated by
claw. For the good of the service itself,
.'for the protection of those who are
Entrusted with the appointing power,
ragainst the waste of time and the OBJ
''struction of public business caused
'by inordinate pressure for peace, and
''the incumbents against intrigue and
wrong, [ shall at the proper time,
TASK Congress to fix the tenure
''of minor Offices, OF the several ex-
''ecutive departments, and prescribe
''the grounds upon which the removals
s'shall be made, during the terms
''for which the incumb ents have beer
"appointed.''
In the last Chicago Ad0ance may be
found the following pertinent remarks;
"One thing was pretty clear, (amid
$50 much that was not clear, that
''the attention of the whole country
would be arrested, as it could have
"been in no other way, to the alb.
"solute necessity of fundamental re.
"form, in sour civil service, so that
''the wol6sh Office grabbing system in
"our American politics should be put
"out of the way"
And the London Telegraph, com
menting on the late sad event, says:
enquiry will probably show that
''the crime was the individual act of
:'an undicipliaed vagabond, driven to
"homicidal mania by combination Of
uncomfortable greed for Office and
"despair of gain. America will find
'that this cancer must be cut out, OF
sit will eat away the healthy life OF
''the body politic.''
We need reform, too, in public
sentiment, and in the action of courts
in regard to the punishment of Grim
inals.
Now. too often, both Judge and
jury are affected to degree inimical
to the public veal by a false one
sided philanthropy, and by covetous-
ness. How sadly true it is that money
and morbid mercy saves many a cul-
prit from states prison and the gallows.
Too often the plea OF insanity prevails.
This has come to be the standing ex-
cuse Of the successful or would be
murderer. Every case should be
thoroughly sifted; and provided the
person prove insane, if it be clear that
the aberrated condition of mind under
which the deed is done was superin-
duced by vicious habits which have
undetermined the whole system, de-
moralized the whole person, destroyed
manhood and dethroned reason; then
let him suffer the full penalty of the
law just as though he had committed
the offence while intoxicated. In
such case, like the inebriate, he
voluntarily puts himself into a con-
dition TO do the most terrible deeds,
and therefore should be held response
hle for what he does. The time is
not distant when more or less re-
sponsibility will attach to some sub
iects of insanity. Matters have been
at such pass that men guilty and
convicted of the most horrible and
lothsome crimes have been lionized,
instead of being held up to public
execration; and through a mawklsh
sentimentalism, in the place of their
being eternally disgraced, they have
been almost worshipped. From the
attention bestowed and efforts made
for their release, you would think that
they were martyrs in some noble
cause; or that they were heroes who
had sacrificed their all for their coun-
try's good. But, [ thank God, public
sentiment is changing its tone. Men
begin to find that it does not work
we'll to put premium on wickedness
and thus open the food gates OF
crime. They are beginning to see
that the good of the many demands a
stringent law; and that penalty be
inflicted swiftly and surely upon
transgressors. So surely and swiftly
that for man to violate the law
would amount to the same as an earn
est plea on his part for the faithful
infection of penalty. We are coming
to feel that in order to the security
of life and property, the laws of the
land must be as irreversable and ir-
resistable as Gods law in nature:
and the penalty in its infection upon
the transgressor just as certain.
Our most intelligent citizens are fully
persuaded that if there be error on
the side of mercy, it ought to avail
in behalf of the honest, industrious,
kindly and pure citizen, rather than
for the culprit; and that he who stands
convicted of unmerciful and cruel
deeds should, in order to the obtain,
ing of mercy. have himself set the
example of mercifulness and kindness
Now as far as Guiteau is concerned
! Ii annears that he has lived a vicinns