The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-10-18
THE POLITICAL POSITION OF THE
DEMOCRACY OF ROCK ISLAND
COUNTY, FOR THE LAST
FOUR TEARS.
A RECORD OF PATRIOTISM, LOVE
OF COUNTRY, DEVOTION TO
THE CONSTITUTION AND
THE LAWS.

We had intended TO issue public circular,
to the people of this county, IN regard to 'he
position of the democratic party, but, to ex-
pose the continued misrepresentation OF our
opponents would require larger space than
q circular would furnish, and we have, there
fore, concluded TO make more extended re-
view Of the position, making it complete in
our weekly paper. and we ask our subscrib-
ers TO take especial pains to give it t. wide
circulation among their republican neigh
bors that all may fairly understand our po-
sition and principles.
Before proceeding TO show what has been
and what is the position of the democracy OF
this county, state and nation, 1t is proper to
say that parties should be Judged by the
principles they lay down and indorse, In
convention. The garbled quotations occa-
sionally published, by republican newspa-
pers. of the sayings OF some irres ponsi Die
authority, are not the opinions of the party,
and will not be quoted as such, by any fair
man. There are unwise and impracticable
radicals in the democratic party as well as in
the republican party, but their opinions are
the opinions of themselves, not Of the party.
The erratic acts and sayings OF SUCH men as
Harris, of Maryland, Long and Cory, of
Ohio, Byington, OF Iowa, ana that class Of
politicians and newspapers, the democrgtlc
party is not responsible for. The democratic
party repudiates all such men and newspa-
pers, and is esponsible only for opinions ex-
pressed through the proper channels OF Its
authorized conventions. Let US examine, then,
the position OF the democratic party, fairly,
and through the proper and acknowledged
authority. We commence with:
1861.
When, in April, 1861, the democracy of
this county heard the report OF rebel guns,
battering away at the walls OF Fort Sumter,
they knew no party but the party of the con-
stitution and their country, and they, and
shelr newspaper, and their public speakers,
came forward with alacriry to sustain Mr..
Lincoln in his constitutional efforts to pre-
serve the government. As the fall election
drew near their county committee met and
proposed to the republican county committee
a basis of union for the two parties, for the
then approaching election. That agreements
was signed by the committees of both the
republican and the democratic parties, and
in it, it was stated that ''the Offices shall be
divided, in number aud salary, as nearly
equal as possible between those VINO have
formerly acted with the republican and the
democratic parties"
The convention met, on the 18th of Octo-
Der, and adopted patriotic and unobjectIon-
able platform, and then proceeded to ballot
for candidates for county officers, and, thro'
the management of John NJ. Wilson, of Coal
Valley, the understanding under which the
convention was called was wholly ignored
and repudiated, and the democrats put off
with only one candidate 1.-THE county iudge)
and that the poorest Office in the county 1t
was John Nj. Wilson who proposed to nomin-
ate Comet By exclamation, out of time and out
of place, and it was through his efforts that
Comet was nominated, though there was q
decided majority against him on four ballots,
and he only received the nomination (by
Wilson's treachery to the agreement made in
the CALI on the fifth ballot by small ma
jority.
AND when the convention was over the re.
Pubhesns shametully backed out of their
r.Fa -.1es