Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-11-14
A Political Assassination.


rtNeiai fulfilling dt StOH,
KY, by rival bosses in a quarrel
over the patronage is in many re-
spects the most disgusting and
revolving the newspapers have
been called ON to record in years.
The criminals engaged in it were
both politicians of prominence,
and both classed- themselves as
gentlemen, but after quarrelling
over spoils they met and proceed
ed to assassinate each other in the
most horrible way, Colonel VIM.
Cassius Goodloe, national commit
teeman and recognized boss of the
State under this Administration,
using his knife on Colonel Armis-
tead NJ. Swope, disappointed ap-
plicant for office. Colonel Good
loe Is shot through the abdomen.
Colonel Swope is butchered to
death with repeated stabs from the
spring-backed dagger which Mr..
Harrison's Kentucky deputy presi-
dent carried concealed about his
person.
A clerk who witnessed the
butchery says that "both men
scowled and snarled like mad
panthers," and the correspondent
of a Republican newspaper says
that when Deputy President Good
loe gave up his knife after the as
sassination, he said, referring to
the man ne had just killed "He
squealed like a calf when | got to
him."
1t is impossible to imagine more
disgusting brutality than this in
the lowest brute, but after the
fight, Goodioe's cousin, who had
witnessed it, "said he never
thought he would see such a mag
niiicent display of manly courage
and bravery"
While it is impossible to ignore
the facts of the connection of Ad-
ministration politics with this af-
fair. we have no desire to use it for
the purposes of partisanship. 1t
results directly from the system Of
bossism and office huckstering Mr..
Harrison has established, but it
would be brutal to charge him with
responsibility for it. Nothing can
be gratifying in such a connection,
but it is well, at least, that it is
impossible for his partisans to
charge the State of Kentucky with
the responsibility, as they have
been doing in the case of similar
murders committed in the nalf-
civilized Republican counties IN
The Kentucky mountains. This
much being said, we may dismiss
the political phase of the CRIME
with the hope that 1t may do some
thing to strengthen the reaction
against the present corrupt and
corrupting method of trading in
the offices.
No matter by whom or where
committed, such. crimes ought
to make the criminals detested and
despised outcasts; cut off from
intercourse with civilized people.
If taking life legally were a dem-
onstrated prevention of the crime
of taking it illegally, they would
deserve the most d%isgraceful death.
But the remedy in such diseases as
this is not life-taking. 1t is seclu-
sion and disgrace. A man who
''grunts and growls like a panther"
who, when he believes himself to
be dying, holds a bloody knife in
his hand and boasts that tile man
he has just killed ''squea!ed like a
calf" under his stabs, is not a fit
associate even for the average
sneak-thief or pick-pocket. His
place is in the lowest scale of
humanity, and justice should place
him there, dealing with him merci-
fully, but putting him where he
can do no further harm, and sc set
ting on him the marks of universal
condemnation that not even his
own kindred will be able to think
that his horrible brutality was
either "brave" or "manly-"
In this case, Colonel Goodloe had
full possession of all the reason he
ever had. He had choice in cool
deliberation between walking away
from an enemy who had made no
attack on him and walking up to
him with his clasp knife ready to
stab him until he ssquealed like a
CALI" He concluded that his
dignity required the person he dis.
liked to be stabbed or to retreat, and
that person being like minded,
they began a butchery which the
lowest savages could hardly have
made more disgusting. Circum'
stances did not even require either
of them to ''back to the wall" to
escape killing each other, as oul
semi-barbarous ancestors re-
quired to do centuries ago. 1t was
only required that each should
turn to the right as the law
Directs" but each preferred tc
eviscerste the other.
Nothing could have been more
brutal, more d~espicable, more
lgnoble, more unmanly. Across
the Kentucky line, halfa dozen ig
norant Tennessee mountaineers arr
awaiting execution for the crime o:
like character but not nearly SO dis
gushing, and if Colonel Goodloe re
covers from his wounds he should
spend the rest Of his life wearing
r the stripes of the despicable felon h
!: showed himself to be when he vii
lingly became the butcher of hi
A political rival. The penitentiar,
stripes and the guards paddle ar
proper discipline for DULLES ant
brutes who think themselve
gentlemen, and, as gentlemen
t bound to stab or shoot at shor
notice and on any pr%ovocation tina
: suits their purpose.
When the Voter is Alone.
The following election story i
o,~o I,,ot bafora 4ha alootio,