Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 19, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 June 1881 — Chronic Mendacity. [ARTICLE]

Chronic Mendacity.

During the late Presidential cum p lign, the most serious accusation brought against President Garfieid in ]• •fcreince to his ?omplicity with the < orrupt Credit Mobilier transactions was that he persisted in statements that were demonstrated to be absolutely false. In all transactions» whether pub ic or private, veracity is indi-pensiijle, and no man without it should be placed in a position of offl- < ial responsibility. The correctness of this position will appear obvious wh<ui it is considered that without veracity confidence cannot exist. - Owing, perhaps, to the circumstances that this serious charge was made during the excitement of a political campaign, and by political opponents, it was disregarded cr discredited by Mr. Gar .old’s partizan friends, and failed to influence them as it should have done, in the choice of a candidate. Respect for the exalted position Mr, Garfield now occupies demands that his acts and statements be received with deference, and weighed with candor; there is no disposition to rail or carp. But, aside from theso considerations, the frequency with which iiis vi facity is assailed elicits com□rent, aud leads to the conclusion that ijuendacity with him is a weakness a constitutional infirmity. His own partisans are now his accusers* Mr Conking has repeatedly charged him with falsehood and deception in relation to certain appointments. In his.letter of resignation to the Governor of New York it is a prominent part of his complaint. The New York Herald in commenting upon reccntpolitical events, says; “The truth is, that, from the beginning, Garfield has committed himself irrevocably to Blaine, and in his dealings with Conklp.g, Platt and their followers hm-fjjlowed the policy of duplicity.” A'- . - ys •. ;.-j New York Sun: "No subj •1- -1 much talked of as Garfield’s WiL: :I— LD habitual deceit, - '.0.-.1.-: ....I: :f telling false- - 'N- ../• ev-.-iy day furnishes Statements of a like -.tier leading papers _ _•_*. space would al* P ... . sagacity and brilliancy of are not .the only requisites .ic be insisted upon as qualin .-.lons for high official positionsThere are cardinal virtues, and truth Is one of them, that should be con-.-idered indispensable to positions of great responsibility and trust. In thia instance the Republicans are the victims of their own folly.— Infatuated, and swayed by party zeal, they closed their eyes to the faults of their candidate and now, as a natural result, they are reaping the bitter fruit of misplaced confidence. The tree is known by its fruit. Thistles do not produae figs. No party can long retain its hold upon the confi deuce of the people that, in the choice of candidates, prefers truth-less-tricksters and machine-politi-cians to honest and capable men. Howard (Kansas) Courant, June 9: Howard had her first fire on Saturday morning of last week, and one, too, which wib long be remembered by those who witnessed the horrible re suits. About three o'clock in the morning, while everybody was in bed and sleeping Mr, C. H. Cannon’s livery barn located just north of S. A. Brown & Co’s lumber yard, and fronting on Washington street, was discovered to be on fire, the flames first showing near the rear of the barn, which was 140 feet deep, 30 feet wide and two stories high.

Tho alarm was given as soon as possible, but before many people could be awakened and get there, almost the entire barn was in flames and the much dreaded flend had nought to do but go on in its wild fury until it had consumed everything within its reach. The people or Howard have heretofore escaped so well from the ravages of the fire flend that no preparations have ever been made to battle with it, and never until these large flames appeared did any one realize, apparently, that it was necessary to save the property of the town. However, our people rushed to the scene as soon as possible, and did all in their power to save what property they could, altho’ the amount saved was small compared with that lost. There were twenty-five head of horses in the barn, nineteen of which were burned up, only six escaping, and they the more inferior ones, seven buggies and one carriage, harness, and a large amount of corn and other feed, and a lot of furniture, The house in which Cannon lived, standing just across the alley, west of the barn, was also burned. It was the property of Mr N B. Cartmell, insured for SBOO, and worth SIOO.OO or $1,200.00, By diligent woik most of tho household goods were saved. The stable was insured for SI,OOO. But the saddest and most deplorable feature of the affair, was the burning to death of George Cannon, the proprietors youngest son. who was sleeping in the second story of the barn, and wh no doubt smothered to death

without ever waking up. He had been out to Mr. Hughes’ the evening before with four other young people of the city, returning about 12 o’clock, and after eating a dish of ioe cream at Fouiks’ was last seen going toward the barn smoking a cigar. He was in bed when the fire broke out, and no effort was made to awaken him or rescue him. nor was he scarcely thought of until it was too late to save him. On going to the barn door soon after the fire was first discovered in the rear end of the building, Mr. Cannon says he opened the frontdoor, and saw the back door was open and a number of horses loose in the barn, at once supposed his son had come down stairs and was cutting the horses loose to let them out the back way, thus he turned his attention to the saving of buggies and the ’bus which were in the front of the barn, and not until the walls of the barn had fallen and the dwelling house was enwrap ped in flames, did the excited crowd discover that poor George was missing, and soon after, upon investigating the burning ruins, immediately under where his bed had been located, the charred remains were fen nd and dragged from the hot debris, the flesh being all burned off the body and both arms and legs gone. ’Tis sad to think of the approach of death, even after a lingering illness, but to imagine one like this is entirely beyond description. Only three or fourhours before this bright young man of 20 years had come home from a pleasant pariy, bid bis friends good night, with the remark: “When shall we five meet again?” and to look at his charred remains, would bring horror to a more hardened heait than we have ever known. Think of it for a moment, Friday the bright yountf man was on our streets, attending o his work, his cheeks glowing with thai rosy blush of good health, his eyes sparkling with the reflection of contentment and ease, for George was ever happy, jovial and pleasant, only that night to retire in perfect health anu pass from sweet dreams into eternity, and all is hushed in woe. sadness, sorrow and anguish George was the pride of the family and one of Howard’s best boys, liked by all for his affable dis position, and respected for his worth and manly habits. The svmpathis of the entire community are extended to the bereaved friends in their great loss and all feel a pang of grief to witness the sudden and horrible death of one so universally loved, so young and so good. Mr. Cannon was formerly a citizen of this county, and is a brother-in-liwof our townsman, J. W. Duvall* The old friends and acquaintances of Mr. C. and family deeply sympathize with them in their loss and sad bereavement.