The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-07-06
SHAMEFUL.

Since the preparation OF the atrOciouS
crime of Saturday. some articles have ap
peared in Administration newspapers, and
one or two in Democratic newspapers, thai
ought to be regarded as a warning to the
press of the country, and are of kind to
be avoided at this time and at all times
Thus. in the COltrier-JOu77laL of Louisville
there is an article by its editor, some start
ling passages of which were telegraphed
over the country by the Associated Press,
and have doubtless also been eabled to Eu-
rope. Here arc a few of the sentences:
The author of this dire crime seems to
be the merest vagabond, yet he claims to
he Stalwart; and what is there in the
character of the men in whose name and
interest the deed was DONE and whose des-
perate fortunes it saves from destruction to
rescue them from suspicion which would,
by n change in that authors nativity firm
" attach itself to the most innocent people
Mrs. Surratt was hanged on less circum-
stantial evidence than occurs to the mind
as to Roscoe COnkling and Chester A. Ar
thur. The vile nature of the contest at
Albany the despicable rancor of the com
batants, and the base methods adopted by
both parties, render murder as likely a
weapon as any other and while we should
be slow to accuse anybody, and prayerful
that the man Guiteau is not the instrument
of a conspiracy, we should not be eager to
assume the innocence of body of political
wretches whose hands are stained by every
other crime-not precipitate in wishing to
hurry into power a band of bandits and
plunderers who may have planned this as
sassination as their last resort.
The Tribune of yesterday also had lead
ing article, from which the two following
passages are taken:
at does not appear that the assassin of
yesterday had even been thought u lunatic,
by any associate or acquaintance, until the
deadly shots were fired Was he crazed by
political excitement then, as many sayg
At what point, if ever, did the madness of
faction become the madness OF irresponsi-
bility? Do the leaders offaction ever intend
all the mischief which grows from
the wild and desperate spirit which they
create, feed and stimulate, week after
week? This assassin, it seems, was not
ignorant that he was trying to kill one Pre-
sident and to make another His language
and letters prove that he knew what he
was doing only too well. As "a Stalwart
of the Stalwarts, his passion was intense
enough to do the thing which other reck
less men had wished were done
Never again viii any sane man cry, I
am Stalwart of the StalwartsP"
The suggestions of the extract quoted
from the 0urieT-.Jour7eE are not such as
ought to appear in any sober newspaper
under such circumstances as now exist.
Does Mr.. Watterson really believe in his
heart that eX Senator Conkling and Vice
President Arthur ought to be placed under
suspicion, in the presence of Saturdays
crime? that murder is likely to be a
weapon of the political wretches" at
Albany? and that these bandits and
plunderers may have planned this assassin
alton as their last resort p
These are extraordinary and terrific ac-
cusations to be made by one of the leading
newspapers of the United States, and to
be placed before the people of the whole
country through the agency of the Asso-
ciated Press
The words of the Tribune are more
guarded, though, in saying that, as a
Stalwart of the Stalwarts, the assassin did
the thing which other reckless men had
wished were done, it goes quite far
enough.
The newspapers of all parties had better
avoid such terrible language and such ire
mendons accusations. They are shocking
and shameful.-N T. San.