Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1882-10-26
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A Proper Statement Of the Tragedy.

-4ffs EI ZGsE E5R-I
A Proper Statement Of the Tragedy.
Il From the Atchison Globe i II
1Ne.1y every pal paper i, 1, tie poastry
has fiercely denounced John A. Cock
erill for the killing of A. W. Slay-
back fin St Lonissbnt not Aone2 OF
them explain what Cockerill should
have done under the circumstances.
f he 1 IVES W i scented i'm his prisata oflA
attending to. his private affairs, when
siayback and a gentleman named
'Clopton walked in with the ayowed
intention of slapping his face, and
otherwise humiliating HIM. At this
point In the story it should be- uIaler<
stood that Slayback wassthe aggress-
or; the night before, in a political
speech, he said that every man con-
nected with the Post Dispatch was a
blackmailer; not that it was true, hut
because he was politically opposed TO
the paper. The Post Dispatch had
Always treated Slayback courteoasIy, +,
and his ennity toward it was~dnc
tO the circumstance that the paper
was opposing bis law partner for
Congress. After slayback's unjust
attack, Mr. Cockerin replied in Ian
guage not half as insuIting as the slaa-
gaage of SHAY backs speech, and.rs-
pubEnhed 8 card wherein John NJ.
Glover dsnoaaeed slayBaback l s.as a
coward II would seem that Glover
xss the rnAn to see, but Slayback
went to call on the editor of the
Pest7D DispateA Instead. gSlaybaeksrss
a fighting man, and 50 was Clopton,
who accompanied him. ;Cockerll
feared his life, and being very cool
man, when pistols were displayed,
he fred fisstr and, ~Ms. Slayback
dropped dead. 1t is not disputed
that Slay backwas the sggressor,sand
that he went to the PossD Dispatch Of
flee to beat Cockerill, and perhaps
kill him. l Under such circumstance
,es what, should Cockerill have aone2
Submitted to having his face Slapped
and his aose, pulled for defending
his paper and his employer against
an unjust attack? Slayback was an
honorable and distinguished mar.
but SO was Cockerill, and both were
brave and courageous. Cockcrill is
to be pitied as much as Slayback, for
it is about as terrible to kill aVman
as it lis TO be killed. but under the
circumstances we don't see what
other course. sCeekerill-s could have
'ptrsded.s N is sald that the Past Dis
patch was unscrnphlous and wicked,
but this is said by its business rivals.
1t is really nothing more than an en-
terprising, able and newsy paper, and
the men it has justly lampooned call
it~a blackmaiter1 A;paler which at
tacks dishonest official, OR a dis
honest party, is always called q black
mailer by the friends of the. dishon-
est official and the dishonest party.
The Post-Dtspatch was the only pa
per in St, Louis Ghieh latts scked Che
gamblers IN tile late prosecutions,
and it is popular with the people be-
cause , = unsparreg il aeeeuncing
corruption of every kind. 1t cannot
be such very bad paper, or its cir
culation would not be so enormous,
The republican papers Of the country
say worse things Of the democrats
every isyof-sho ycsr shaH the osss
Dispatch said Of Col. Slayback, and
the sg Joe papers re ensageA il I
fierees 4u4elto-day than % RrsalI
head quarrel in St. Louis, and where
Isver 2 POLITICAL campaign IS ip prog
ress the ddarrelingg is as bitter as it is
in StrLouis The lesson oftle trag.
|tss ha. Hs&Ts ssrywhtrs S4fN
too Aercely over politicss and wha1
Ehas happknekkin st. Louis is likely te
heppen ie-6t. Joe, in Denveryin Kan.
SIS GSsog in Sfysshsr 1otA&ef
are able party papers.