The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-07-21
MODERATION IN ARGUMENT

At this exciting period when great issues
and great men are before the people to be
disposed of by that sovereign and civilized
instrument, the ballot, a recommendation to
temperance in the discussion of men and
measures seems to be time and important.
There is nothing by which men are so much
improved or the interests Of society so much
enhanced as BY an Interchange Of ideas
Not one of the grand movements, that mark
the pathway Of civilization, nor one Of the
great discoveries, founded upon principles o.
science, emanated from any single indiudu'
al, or was the solution Of any single intel.
lect. The common law events the common
sense Of all generations moderated and
abridged in all that was superaaous or IN.
Just
There is no topic so fruitful of good to all
and to the reputation Of the nation which all
true men cherish than the political meas.
ures presented to the people for their choice
and which arc to influence the happiness Of
the country ct large as they may be the OK
ponents Of the dominant party. How fool
i.h then, how more than fooish-how de.
grading to descend to abuse and Billings.
ra,oin disputahon where calmness is 80 nee
essary to succeed in the effort to understand,
and where q failure to understand is visited
by so many fearful consequences 10 the PEG.
pie at large. How often in political discus.
sion, even among men Of some degree Of in.
telhgence, is an excellent point which Is
made, and ifii.sussed calmly would lead to
better understanding Of the subject, al
swcred by the staple party slang or some
abusive meaningless ep,het invented for the
deectation Of the groundlings
A certain man Of great erudition, Nlludiug
to his life passed in the quiet seclusion Of
his library says: "My days are passed in
quiet controversy with great minds, and my
nights in meditating on their arguments,au
refuting them if possible" It would have
been useless for him to have worked himself
into n passion, for no would have received
no answer from the dumb staring covers Of
the book he might, ike the great Sam
Johnson, thrown it down in dudgoon and
refused to read another line, but that would
be virtually acknowledging the supremacy
Of the writer The intemPerate abuse Of ev.
arythng opposed to their absolute dictums
is what characterizes the majority in our
present national legislature, aud earns isr
u5 the plying contempt Of other natons,-
Ihaddeus Stevens with one foot in the grave,
rises trembling with age and inordinate an.
ger, and cXhausts his aged frame with voIu.
bic dcuuucation and is carried out breath
less MI sofa. Washburuc, driven to the
wall in fair parliamentary debate, turns up
on his opponent and in phrase unbecoming
a legislator Of u great nation, OF gentle
man, revIIes his personal character. 1t is Il
resort to that degrading shift which was wit.
lily described ola certain great mau--"If
his pistol misses fire he will knock you down
with the butt end Of it,, Or if man tells
you that you are mistaken, and is proceed.
ing calmly to show you IN what, tell him at
once that he lies that you are intalhbIe.
Argument ia necessary to a proper under.
standing Of all subjects. aud more particu.
larry Of politics. but it only carries weight
with it when it is dignifed, mild and con
seryatiye OF harmony. We would recon-.
mend, therefore, that the democratic young
men Of Rock Island should initiate the eI.
q mpIe Of other cities, and organize them.
selves into young mems democratic club,
for the discussion Of the various party issues,
rejecting such as are not founded upon just
views, and discussing the eligibility Of nomi.
necs. Not that the glorious Old party that
has survived an era Of fanaticism more ter
rible than any in the history Of nations, or
the principles on which it is founded aud
which form the keystone Of oar liberties
need any argument for their frmcr estab.
lshment; but that party platforms are often
falhble instruments and party men are not
always the best Of men. We earnestly rec.
ommend such an organization where young
men may be educated in right political prn.
cipIes, and will do all in our power towards
It's successfnl institution.