The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-06-30
GUfTEAU.

While city subscribers, this morn
ing, are enjoying their newspaper
and C. fee, there will be a busting
but nevertheless solemn scene liz
side tie ja;I-yard at Washington /;
and before our morning sun has
risen high above the horizon It will
have shone upon A tragedy at the
national rapi a. One year ago next
S !nday morning Charles j. Guite&u
made himself the most prominent
and most deeply lOathed character
on earth. To day he will pay for
all his notoriety with his life. A
great many men would be willing
to surrender their lives for one year
of fame, but happily for America
there are few men who are ambi-
tious for notOriety such as Guiteau
has achieved. In the hundred
and six years Of the national
existence but one Guiteau
has been developed. We will be
fortunate if another hundred and
six years go by with only one such
assassin. But what is of more im-
portaace is the fact that Guiteaus,
no matter how many their number,
cannot endanger OR even shake the
republic One Of them may bring
the nation to sorrow and tears, as
the miserable wretch so swiftly
approaching his end did, yet the
government stands firmly. Gar
fields assassination was a sad shock
to men, but he died without III the
least shaking the republic, or even
causing people to question as to
whether his death would in
the least endanger the nation
The very fact that most
popular President was shot down in
a public place by one of the lowest
Of citizens, and the government
moved on without halt OF jar, is a
highly convincing proof that the
American republic is erected Oh one
of the fTmest foundations ever laid
by the trainers of nations and the
builders of governments.
But the miserable wretch whose
soul is to be sent to the great here
after today Will any good result
from his hanging? Of course he
ought to be hanged. His crime de-
serves the severest punishment
known to the law, which Is death
1t would be akin to treason to sug-
gest that he be permitted to live.
At the same time it may be asked
whence comes the authority fer
taking the life of the fellow? The
theory Of the death penalty is less
the getting rid of the murderer than
the determined effect upon others.
Does anybody suppose the hanging
Of Guiteau will prevent another
from repeating his crime? The ex-
ample of his death will have no
effect upon otherS,and the killing of
the fellow only puts it beyond the
possibility for him to do farther
harm on earth. So long as the same
thing could be accomplished with
out taking human life, the moral
lawfuiness of the execution may be
called in question. Guiteau is
crazy. He was insane on July 2,
1881, and had been for a long time.
Neither morally nor lawfully was
he responsible for his acts, any more
than is the lunatic who dashes out
his own brains butting a stone wall.
His insanity is Of dangerous char
acter, and for self-protectien society
has the right to restrain him, but
nowhere can society find authority
for taking his. life as it will do to-day.
Had Guiteau slain a less distin-
guished person than his
victim, no fair-minded, clear
headed jury iceuld have convicted
him, for his insanity and consequent
responsibility would have been
transparent to all. 1t is perhaps as
well that he should go as he is GO
ing. He could only be an injury on
earth, as be seems to have been an
evil during his whole life; at the
same time, the fact exists that in his
hanging the law executes a crazy |
man simply because the man he |
killed was prominent and beloved. |
TEF FOURTH