The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1862-02-13


IN FAVOR OF THE LOCATION OF
THE NATIONAL ARMORY AT
CHICAGO"
Is that true? We reckon not. "The house
committee report in favor &C." Does it! Had
1.-THE house committee made any such re-
port when the head was published? Of
course not. VIVA. is meant by the house com
mittee? One would naturally suppose it
meant the committee on the new national
armory. But that is not true, and the head"
we bave quoted is calculated to mislead the
public
We stared at that haring " head mo.
rnent, and then looked along down the tele
graph column 10 see what it was made from,
and found the following
especial Dispatch to the Chicago Times.
WASHINGTON, Feb. IL.
1.-The special committee on lake defenccs,
Of which Hon. MIR. Arnold j. chairman, will
make report tomorrow. The report will be
very lengthy, and embody and include stats
tics recommending and showing the impOr.
lance Of the immediate defence Of the lake
frontier"
Well, what Of it? Why simply this: Mr..
Arnold wants to be re elected to congress and
he knows it is impossible unless he can make
a little home capital, somehow. At the extra
session he was strongly III favor Of the loca
ton Of the armory at Rock Island but he is
afraid Of Long John now, and is trying to
manufacture capital for reelection. Know.
ing that he cannot get the regular house com
mittee, on the armOry question, to report in ia.
yor of Chicago, he moves the appointment OF
u" committee on lake deteHceS." Of which he
is chairman, OF course. Since that commit.
tee was appointed the public has been RECALLED
with all sorts of sensation dispatches, from
Washington, as to what " the Hon. Mr.. Arm
old, chairman on lake detences," was got1.
to do. lie Is goiHg to report most compre
naval depot Ut Ciicayo; a national armory
at CNicdgO; national cannon foundry, at
Chicago the enlargement Of the Illinois can.
al from HtcagO 10 La Safe: and an i'm
provement of Chicago harbor' Truly a most
comprehensive system Of lake deencc- Great
is Isaac Arnold! lie might as well have call
ed it the Giastcutus, as u system Of lax,
defences. 1t is simply q system of humbug
gotten up by Isaac Arnold, who, with the nj,
of little money to especial reporters for tn
associated press" and ditto to telegraph
operators, to blow his tin whistle about wha
he is going to do. To execute his magnifcen
plan Of lake defences for the benefit Of lsaa,
and Chicago would cost at least $50 100000
Neither he nor anybody else expects con
gress will do a single thing they are blowing
about. That is not the object. But, if Isaac
can keep himself before the public and get q
reelection on what he is going 10 10, that j.
all he wants,
Looking further along down the telegraph
column OF the paper in which we found thu
special" above quoted, we found the follow
ing:
Later. The committee on the defence q
the lakes will report in favor of the establish
ment of national armorv at Chicago.
There it is again, Very exciting, isn't i.
In the other case it was 1.-THE special COMM
tee on lake defences.' Now it is "the con
mttee on the defence Of the lakes" and tn
committee is going to report in favor of g
national armory at Chicago" Who is tn
committee? Why, Isaac Arnold, of course
Looking over the same paper, we find, il
its editorial summary, the following;
"The committee on lake defences will re
port to the house today in favor of the Ioca
ton Of the new national armory at Chicago
Here, it is "the committee on lake defences, ;
Isaac, Of course and the editor saws tn,
committee will locate "Me new national ar
mory at Chicago"
First the committee on lake defence
Isaac will make a "lengthy" report, whicl
will "embody and include statistics recon
mending and showing the Importance Of tn
Immediate defence OF the lake frontier"
building three or four foundries at Chicago
and charging the canal. Next the commi
tee Isaac will report in favor Of "a nation
al armory at Chicago and then the ediso
says the committee Isaac will repor, i
favor Of 'tAe neW national armory at Chico
60"
we suppose the committee Isaac viii
therefore notify the regular armory commit
tee to dry up" as he usaac) will attend t,
that little matter himself
Now, don't let anybody be humbugged ,nv
more with this sort of Chicago blow;ng i
bill was reported. in the senate, at the extra
session of congress- in favor Of locating "tL.
new national armory" at Rock Island. Thu,
bill is expected to pass in a few days. Itwil
then 60 to the house, where the regular ar
mory committee will either report in favor O
Rock Island, or report in favor of a north
western arrnory, and leave the location to tn
house. With the senate bill already passed
and on the house Tablet is not very violen