River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-07-14
EDITORIAL BREVITIES.

ChC0 lido ttuJOuAutu NlliOhb obt@ihiHS
any practical results. Evarts, Thur
man and Howe, represented the
United States at this conference.
IN February the stalwarts felt con-
fident that they would run the Gar
field administration, Now they think
the Garfield administration wants to
run them--along with the rest of the
party.
HAD Republican newspapers known
as much last winter about the "politi-
cal complexion of the United States
Senate as they now do, they would
have saved a deal of speculation con-
corning the organization of that
august body.
THE New York Chamber of Com
merce has originated a scheme to
raise by subscription the sum of
$250,000, the annual income from
which is to be given to Mrs. President
Garfield during her lifetime, and at
her death the principal is to be divid-
ed among her children.
TEXAS has law providing for the
Every State in the Union would do
we'll to follow the example of Texas
in this matter. Most travellers real
ize that their baggage is usually
handled in an unnecessarily rough
and reckless manner.
MANY writer's take the shooting of
President Garfield as a text for arti-
cles decrying the custom of carrying
concealed weapons. Reprehensible as
this habit is, public sentiment sus-
tains it, and until this sentiment is
changed, laws prohibiting the offence
will remain dead letter.
AN exchange assumes that the shoot
ing of President Garfield will have a
tendency to soften the asperities Gre
ated during his administration in
political circles, but affairs at Albany
do not sustain the assumption. At
any rate shooting the President is a
harsh way of settling political asperi-
ties.
In his remarks to the graduating
class of 1881, President Anderson, of
the University of Chicago, advised
the boys that their college course had
only fitted them to begin the struggle
of life, and il was now time for them
to lay aside their rattan canes,
abandon kid gloves, take off their
coats and 90 to work in earnest.
WHILE there is no tenable ground
for believing that the attempt to
assassinate President Garfield was the
result of conspiracy to place Arthur
in the presidential chair, there is no
doubt that the interests of the stall
wart wing of the Republican party,
which is headed by Conkling and
Arthur, were uppermost in the mind
of the fanatic who did the shooting.
A general public knowledge of this
fact has placed the Vice-President in
an embarrassing position.
GUIrEAU expresses regret that he did
not succeed in his attempt to assassin
ate President Garfield, and wishes he
had put another bullet into him. He
does not attempt to play the insanity
dodge, but regards himself as a hero,
and few, if any, regard him insane,
in the general acceptance of the term.
The maximum punishment that can
be visited upon Guiteau is imprison-
ment and labor for eight years. an
insignificant punishment for SO grave
an offence against the whole nation.
SOME of the big metropolitan dailies
are stopping over in their gush over
the fortitude of President Garfield and
the heroism of his devoted wife.
While the department of both these
distinguished individuals under the
sad circumstances by which they are
surrounded is commendable, it is
probably no more so than was that OF
thousands of heroic men who during
the late war were torn by shot and
shell, and their wives, just as devoted,
who for want of means could not
visit them in hospitals, anxiously
awaited their convalescence and re.
turn-in many instances i'll vain.
While we admire as much as any one
the noble qualities of President and
Mrs. Garfield, we recognize tie fact
that though high in position, they do
not enjoy monopoly of all that is
desirable in mankind.
A MAJORITY of the Republican men,
bers of the New York legislature
went into caucus last Friday afternoon
and nominated Warner Miller to sue
coed Platt, and f. G. Lapham to sue.
ceed Conkling in the United States
Senate from New York. Both Miller
and Lapham were last November
elected to the House of Representa-
tives in the next Congress. There is
no reasonable doubt that Conkling
could break the deadlock in the New
York legislature and permit the cleo
ton of two Republican Senators by
withdrawing from the contest. and
his refusal to do so is additional evil
dence, if any were needed, that he
has deliberately made up his mind tC
ruin the Republican party since the
| fact that he can not rule it has been
pretty thoroughly demonstrated. AS
the ConkIing members of the legisla.
ture refused to go into the caucus
| they also refuse to vote for its noml
nees, and the deadlock continues as
/ if no caucus had been held. Without
a compromise that will be acceptable
to both factions no election can be
/ effected, and after time, out OF
sheer disgust, majority of the legis
lature will adjourn that body without
electing Senator's; then, the Republl
can factions will carry their fight into
the campaign and the Democrats vii
carry the next legislature and elect
the United States Senators, thus con
Il cahap1f