The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-09-17

A REPUBLICAN DELEGATE DE-
NOUNCES THE COURT HOUSE
RING.

la another column we publish remark.
able letter written by one Of the Port Byron
delegates to the Republican Convention
held in this city on Tuesday last. The Wi
ter is one OF the prominent leaders Of his
party at the town in which he be resides,
and more than that, was no feather bed pat
triot during the war, but fought brayely at
the front during some of the darkest hours OF
the struggle, as the biggest portion of the
Court House Ring did not do. He is man
of character and influence, and his letter
means business 1t is but another EVIL
dence that the people Of the other portions
! Of the county are getting Disguised at see
ing all the offices of either honor or profit
absorbed by the Court House Ring. We
have already expressed our opinion on this
subject, but great deal more can be said.
A regularly organized Ring exists in this city,
which proposes to take core of all the spoi!9
Of this county just SO long as the people will
let them. Corrupt and unprinciped their
hypocritical pretensions to patriotism and
love for the soldier are utterly lsughable to
those who know them. If the democratic
party were in power in this county to-day,
there is not one of them who would not be
n democrat if be thought he could get an
Office by so doing Their regular business
is political intrigue. They have studied it
through and through. Their Hea Center
has sucked pap at the Court House for the
last ten years, and has been nominated for
four years longer. His father.n law before
him did the same for sixteen gears. The
balance ofthe barnacles can point to records
almost as good, with prospects of making
them better They are living in ease and
luxury off the hard earnings Of the people
of the country, and by their ropes and rings
are in a fair way of holding the reins for
years to come. The only way for the people
to send them back to their original shops
and counters, is to refuse to support them
in dleness any longer, and to say so at the
ballot box. There is no use for the repub
cans Of the country to hope to make any
reforms in this respect. The last conven
ton should teach them this. Every nomins.
ton for o county office was absorbed by the
Ring, with the exception of the one accorded
Wilson, of Coal Valley, which nobody in
Rock Island wanted. The business is cut
and dried here for years ahead. Almost
any Court House barnacle can calculate two
years ahead, and tell, if he wants to, just
who will be nominated for the vacancies to
occur at that time. The thing is so system
ahzed that the country delegates cannot
help themselves, They are met with smirks
and smiles, and soft swader, and promises,
but when they come TO test their chances for
any public emolument, they find themselves
left out in the cold, just as it happened with
Mr.. Johnston and others. This gentleman
has spotess record, and one in which his
townsmen can Justly indulge pride. He is
legal student of the most honorable attain.
ments. And yet the Court House Ring
treated his pretensions with contempt, and
sent him about his business, while O physi.
clan is TO he sent to treat on legal matters
at great assembly Of the wisdom of the
state. Had lawyer been sent to attend
medical conventionthe thing could not have |
been more ridiculous or i'll timed. Mr.. John |
ston was brave soldier, ike the correspon.
dent who has so ably denounced his shameful |
treatment, and, like our correspondent, has
doubtless concluded that the love the Rock
Island Ring entertains for the returned sol
diers is of SO ETHEREAL a character that a fin.
ger can't very well be placed on it.
We should perhaps state that the headings
over the letter are our own, and that We have
taken the liberty of italicising line. Our
columns are always open to honest men who
feel like branding intrigue, theft, and cos.
ruption,