The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-02-29
unn,xor1rLp. Feb. ll. 1865.


Eets GssrtEnEN:l am in receipt of your
note of the 9th inst, inviting me TO De
n-ssent at a mass convention of the democ-
I 100 Of Warren, to be held in Monmouth on
The a2d inst. Iregret. that cannot respond
sffirmatively to your invitation, business
matters requiring my presence IN Clark
county on that day. 2s %
am reioiced 10 know that the faithful
democracy of your county are keenly appre-
ciatiye of the Importance of the issues OF the
political campaign before us, and are thus
early in preparing for active participation
therein. In the ensuing campaign, the peo-
pie will not listen to the dead issues Of the
past, which our opponents labor industri-.
ously to revive. That the country Is in
deplorable condition, is conceded by all;
and the great living question is, How shall
the people be relieved of the maintenance OF
unnecessary hurthens which radical policy
has heaped upon them? Radical leaders in
and out of congress would occupy the pub
lie mind exclusively with the question of
reconstruction of the ten states now under
military rule, while they labor assidulously
to tighten the shackles with which the
money changers, in whose interests these
leaders toll, have got the people bound.
| We have proofs every day in congressional
action that radicaiism seeks no "reconstruc-
1 ton within the limits of the constitution
4 There viii be no such reconstruction as the
/ constitution authorizes until the minions Of
corrupt and grasping money power are
hurled from position and their places occn'
/ pied by the de mocracy, and the constitution
again recognized by law-givers as the su
| preme law of the land. To attain this, the
| people must be enlightened as to the causes
| IA Al tkAp
which bear them to the earth and eat on,
4 their substance. They must be shown the
fragrant inequality in the operation Of ouI
tariff and revenue laws, by which the load o.
taxation is taken from the shoulders OF cap
ital and placed upon the backs of the labor
ing classes. They must be shown tina. there
is neither justice nor sound political econo
my in exempting from national, state ant
| municipal taxation the wealth which il
locked up in government bonds, while al
other capital and the labor of the eountr,
are ruinously taxed. They must be shown
the outrageous ipiqaity, of the nationa
banking system, which pays the bond-lorC
interest on the non-iaxahle national seeuri-
ties he holds from the public treasury, while
he is allowed TO retain the issue of his mo
ney to make an additional interest by loan
to the business public They must be shown
that, according to the bond, if the "green
back is good enough currency for the mas
of the people, it is good enough to pay tn
bondholder; and that it is the duty of tn
government, as fast as the currency -payabi
bonds fall due, to take up such bonds i
gree nbacks to such an extent as not TO ovel
burde the volume Of currency, and thus rt
lieve the people ofdevouring interest. q
These, and kindred subjects, should b
, discussed y the people in the approachin
canvass. This is the sort of 'reconstru,
ton" that the people of Illinois are mos
: interested in and to which they should Civ
: | their most earnest attention. Let us, there
: fore, labor TO enlighten them on these TOT
ics-from the rostrum. and through the w
!. dest possible circulation of sound dem'
! cratic papers; and with a presidential nom
: nee such as has been indicated By the q
most universal voice of the Northwestern
|, democracy, g orge III. Pendleton. state
y man of the first rank, an unwavering dem
, crat, gentleman whose purity of priva
= life is without blemish or reproach-wi'
- such principles, public policy and leade
II ship, the democracy of Illinois and Il
~ Union must be successful in the election
November next.
J While / regret that I cannot be with "
i on the 22d, shall endeavor to get hes
ing, some time during the canvass, befo
: the good people Of Warren county.
Respectfully your obedient servant,
81 J. c. ROBINSON.
y n, TT Swain and others