The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-10-08
pailp' argus.
OFFICIAL CITY g. COUNTY PAPER
Reasons Why Western Men should Oppose
Radicalism

Reasons Why Western Mon should oppo.,
Radicalism.
Taxes go up, as produce goes down.
ExtrsvsRance and corruption are rapidly
and alarmingiy on the increase in every de
partmont of the State and National Govern
ments
One hundred and sixty-three millions q
acres of the very best and most valuable ol
our magnificent public lands, that an ex.
emption law Of Congress had virtually given
to the honest poor but industrious husband.
man, has, in the last few years been given
to heartless monster railroad corporations,
which are owned and controlled BY the mil
lionaire lords of the old world and the citiss
OF the East.
The legislation of Congress has been con-
troiIed during the last ak years in the inter
ests OF the tariff protecting, bond holding
and isnd-grabbing rings, to the vital In jury
and pecu MARY ruin Of the agricultural in ter
ests and industry of the laooriog classes oil
the country.
While labor, the great source of national
wealth, is heavily and unjustly taxed to
support the State and National Governs
ments, the wealthy holders and owners OF
the bonds of the United States, BY far the
most profitable capital of all commercial
and other business purposes, are exempt
from NATIONAL state, local and municipal
taxation.
rne system of legislation inausurated and
psrsistently adhered to by the Republican
majority in congress, makes labor tributary
to protected capital, and builds up oney
aristocrscy upon the surplus earnings of the
sons of toll.
While Schuyler Colfax was speaker of the
House, aud since he became president OF
the Senate, the leading committees of both
branches of the National Legislature have
been so organized that the great agricultu
raj Interests of the South and West, and the
labor of the toiiing millions. have been
under the control, and been made to
contribute, to the mercenary interest Of the
New Engand and the East.
Prominent Republican otficisls, and other
Leading Republican politicians, from a
condition of poverty, have suddenly
acquired princely wealth, by which they are
enabled annually to expend tens Of thou.
ssnds OF dollars IN showy and costly equip
page, and exsrsvagaut and luxurious living,
while the distinguished laboriug masses toll
on, from year to year, with little leisure for
the enjoymsnts of life, few advantages for
education, and still fewer opportunities to
enjoy fare share of the profits of their
labor.
The expenditure of the State and Nation
a. Governments are enormous, wastefuI
criminally extravagant, and q crushing
burden upon the too coDfiding and greatly
wronyed iaDoring tax payers of the country
h In ,ta has
lished, again and again, by leading repub
Icau papers, OF the corruption of senators
and members of congress of their active
cooperation with rings and lobby mem bers
TO secure land grant. TO railroad corpora>
tioas, worth hundreds of millions of dollars
to increase or decrease the revenue tax on
waisky or other articles, As will best promote
their pecunlary interests; TO purchase Alaska
and pay therefor In gold millions of dollars
to LABOR With a Zeal worthy of better cause,
for the purchase of San Domingo, at a cost
OF millions OF dollars OF the peoples money;
anu 10 so tsgislate that protected interests
AMI nannotn corporations can readily and
c-rtainly absorb large portion of the protits
of iaooriug classes of the country.
Uaier the false and specious pretense OF
protecting home industry, system OF tariff
taxation mas been built up that annually
RODS the iaooring classes Of the west of hun
dreds of millions of dollars, which goes &c
enrich the already wealthy manufacturing
establishments of New England and the
east.
Since the republican party has had control
of the State and National Government our
annual state expenses have quadIapled, and
corruption and vsnality and profisate ex.
penditures, and open disregard Of the sacred
obligations OF the constitution, and defan,
tram pling under their unhsllowed feet, the
noble political structure erected by the
patriotic fathers of the Republic, has been
all controlling in republican legislation,
until they have become q disgrace and g
stencil in the nostrils of the good and grsa,
throughout the civilized world.
The Republican Congress have hac
employed for years a herd of officers at higt
aud lucrative salaries, who have paid on
millions of dollars to feed and clothe tens o.
thousands of able bodied idle negroes in
Washington city and in the Southern states
who were as able. and in thousands o.
instances far more SO, to feed and cloths
themselves, than a ma jority of the whit
population in the North, who have beer
annually and grindingly taxed to pay thi
worse than prohigste expenditure OF th
public money.
The expenditure Of tens. and ever
hundreds of thousands Of dollars by the
Republican Congress in the purchase o
knives, scissors, gold pens, gold penholders
gold n,bbed pencils, gold mounted pencils
ivory pencils. artists pencils. diaries. port
monies visiting cards, blank books, copying
books, autograph books, scrap books, an'
hundreds of other articles used by aristocrat
and millionaires. This large expenditure
by Congress for articles here enumerated
and others OF similar character which
member of Congress often sell aud pocke
the money, are paid out of the pockets
the laboring classes.