The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-02-02
A Partisan Verdict.

Speaking OF the assassination Of John n.
/ Clayton. tn eJu5hcan candidate for con-
gress against G. r. Breckenridge, in the
Second dist let Of Arkansas, an account OF
which vas published in the dispatches of
the MORNING. NEWS on Thursday, the
| Washington Post says: Unfortunately
for Mr. BrecFinridye aud for the party in
/ Arkansas which be represents, it will be
hard to make the country at large believe
that the Killing Of Clayton was not politi-
cal murder, wh2tever the real facts in the
case may be"
This statement Of the Post is unjust to
! Mr. Breckenridge a1d the democratic
party Of Arkansas. TIE murder was a de-
I liberate, cold-blooded and cowardly ore,
but there is no evidence that either Mr..
| ByecSinridge or the democratic party is in
any degree responsible for it, Mr.. Clayton
was highly respected both by democrats
and republicans He was man of wealth
and inf ence, and hen be was caudi-
date for sheriff of his county few years
| ago Mr.. Breckenridge voted for him. In
| fact they were very friendly, and the re-
ports that have been published in connec-
ton with he murder justify the conclusion
that il Mr.. Clayton had received a majority
ia the congressional election, Mr.. Breckin-
ridge would have accepted his defeat
gracefully.
| It Is true that Mr. Clayton bad given Mr..
! Breckenridge notice Of an intention to con-
test his election, and at the time he was
murdered he was engaged in taking testi-
mony to support his contest.
The place at which ne was murdered is
known as the Plummer voting precinct.
| The baliut-box of this precinct was stolen
on the night Of the election by four masked
men. Mr. Clayton insisted that il contained
q majority Of between 500 and 600 votes for
him. Admitting that it did he would still
have lacked several hundred OF a majority
of the votes cast in the district. The demo-
Gratis. therefore, had no interest in taking
the life of Mr. Clayton, and the Post shows
| its partisan bias in insnuating that they rad
| Mr.. Brec iinridge says that it has never
| been discovered whether the ballot box was
stolen by democrats or republicans. The
republicans say Of course, that their party
had no interest in stealing the ballot box,
| bat it does not appear that the democrats
had either, and if they had, it is hardly
| probable that they would have sanctioned
the commission Of horrible crime in order
to insure the election of their candidate.
1t is not improbable that Mr.. Clayton had
/ personal enemies, and that his murder had
no political character whatever. The muir
derer may have chosen the time he did for
committing the crime, with the hope of
saving himself from suspicion. He knew
that if Mr. Clayton were killed while TAX
ing testimony in an election case it would
be quite generally believed that the murder
was political one, aud that the murderer
would be looked for among the democrats.
Until there is some testimony to Justify a
suspicion that the democratic party had
something to do with the murder, such
comments as these of the Post are not only
unjustifable, but should be severely con-
demned. A large reward has been offered
by the governor Of Arkansas for the arrest
of the murderer, and if it is shown that the
democratic party is to any extent RESPONSE
bic for his act it will then be proper to ex-
cite public oninion against it.