The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-12-21
.ircuit court on charge Of petit larceny.

I CoSFEssIoN--The Argus SAYS. i"Capt. Ira
/ a Church was democrat in Vermont, where
men are democrats from principle and not from
any mercenaCy considerations" That comes
nearest the truth of anything the Argus has said
for many day. Little Vermont then, by his
own confession, is the only place where smen are
democrats from principle" All the rest are such
I from mercenary motives Wealways knew the
editor of the Argus 'mercenary" democrat.
1t is the city printing that makes him so-Ho-
the and Rock Island Union.
We are very glad the Union has, by the
above item, given us an opportunity to gay
word or two on the subject of those who
change their party associations from mer-
eenary motives.
First then, the Union misrepresents us
when 1t says we confess that Vermont is the
only place where men are democrats from
principle. That statement of the Union is a
most violent and outrageous falsehood-and
it seems to us that the editors of that sheet
must have known it to be such when they
wrote it. They certainly must ifthey care.
tullynoted our language.
Now word as to mercenary politicians:
The editor of the ARGUS, though not then
voter, was an ardent Jackson boy, in 1923,
and "hurrah for Old Hickory was his
motto then and has been ever since. His
hrstvote was given for Martin Van Buren,,
and from that day to this he has never failed
to be present and vote at every election,
when in the United States, either national,
state, county or township-and never failed
to vote the entire democratic ticket, without
scratching one single name. Having formed
has political opinions in a locality where the
majority was largely against him, and having
never changed his party associations or
bolted a single nominee, he cannot be charg-
ed with mercenary motives in form
ing or carrying out his political
opinions. From August till November,
1862, his paper was the only one
printed in Rock Island. He supported the
war from beginning to end, though he did
not approve of or sustain the negro policies
of the war. When Mr. Lincoln issued his
emancipation proclamation, in September
1862, the ARGUS did not sustain it, and its
editor was then urged, by leading and inau-
entail republicans, to stand by Lincoln and
all his measures and the republicans would
stand by him, make his paper their organ,
keepout any opposition paper (of that party
and secure to him all the county and other
patronage they could control. He declined
to do so, simply and only because he could
not conscientiously sustain their measures.
Certainly this was not mercenary action on
his part. Nor can it he called mercenary
for man, without hope of reward or politi-
cal advancement, to stand by his party prin-
ciples from boy to the present hour.
But how will the editors of the Union stand
this mercenary test, when applied to them?
Let US see: They were both raised demo
Gratis and have both turned radicals. One
of the editors and proprietors of the Union
voted for Gen. Pierce, for President, but af
forwards deserted his party and went overto
the other side, and was, soon after, made
sheriff of this county, and has been court
house ''barnacle" ever since. Had merce-
nary motives anything to do with his change?
The other editor and proprietor of the Union
was also raised democrat. and his honored
father is now staunch Pennsylvania demo-
crat, of the jackson school, and helped
achieve the late glorious democratic victory
in that state. But the son, during the late
war, went down into Maryland, hankered
after the aesh-pots, became a radical, and
under the military despotism then existing
there, was, by the radicals, made state Prin
ter. Had mercenary motives anything to
do with his political course? When we see
men tnrn their backs upon the political
principles in which they were reared, desert
othe side of the enemy and be rewarded by
fat offices and patronage, we may conclude
that mercenary motives had something to dc
with their change of base. This test, at any
rate, places both the editors of the Union ii
an unenviable position.
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