The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-10-19
L,ailu Argus.
OFFICIAL CITY g. COUNTY PAPER
AN UGLY QUESTION.

The radicals are sorely troubled over the
record of their party on the renewal of the
income tax, and the removal of tax on gross
receipts. 1t looks TO The people as though
the tax on incomes had been reduced so
to benefit A. 7. Stewart and the merchant
princes and rich nsbobs of the east, and
that the tax on gross receipts had been done
away with entirely for ths deneSis of the
railroad monopoliss of the country, while
there is no reduction in freight or passenger
rates on the railroads thus benefited Il is
Just as it looks, in spite of the way the
Union turns the question over aud tlies to
make It look differently. 1t is one of the
ugly spots on Hawley's record, and he never
votes for the protective tariff robbery is
enough TO defeat him by an overw he lining
majority. The conservative thanking men
OF the republican party moving. The
more shrewd and forseeing republican
writes see that the waters are troubled, that
q reaction is going on, and, while those who
are ensconced in fat offices cry " let us
slone,' they are raising THAR voice to alarm
the party thus going to pieces. Horace
Greeley has given them the key note, and
they are all taking it up. The result of the
October elections in the strongholds of radi-
calism has taught them that it is better to
defeat their incompetent men, than that the
party should be entirely ruined. Following
this line of policy the leading republican
paper Of Peoria, ths Reriep has the following
which so exactly fits Hawiey of this district
and Johnson and Morris of this county that
we pu blsh it. The Reuieu says:
Do you believe that man to be unfit for
o.hce? Then you are moral coward if you
do not erase his name from your ticket
though he have been nominated fifty times
ana Endorsed BY resolutions yards in length
The great cry that is going up for q re ad-
jastmsns of parties, shows. that the office,
holder ars driving the Republican party
iuto shoal water. If it is saved it will be
done not BY their efforts, but BY those who
cry for reform and force il upoa the party
The same paper in speaking of q revenue
thief of its party who holds fat Office in
Peoria, it says:
To him all things have roseate glow
Tue only thing needed is to do nothing.
Let US alone,' he and kindred Office
seekers cry. I'VE are doing well enough
If you sglsate these questions of reform we
lose our places"
lot that some measures are no, necessary
TO relieve the country, to check the
c0rraptlons of politicians, and to reawaken
trade. But thus result is best achieved BY
kesking quiet bv going to sleep, by talking
shout the past record of the party. Any
demand fer reform startles these men like
ap OF thunder.
And yet to men not office holders, the
8}t4sIlou is pregnant with meaning. The
+ L are hard, trade is duIl, the failures OF
business men are frequent, mills are shut
- n3, manufactures are stopped, taxes are
high real estate is declining, every body Is
"a debt. The good times prod duced by the
var have been followed By a great reaction.
AMI that reaction has been going until
we are now at the very bottom of the hill
Now is the time to demand from the govern
msnt the most rigideconomy, now is the time
70 cup up abuses by the roots, to weed out
supernumeraries from the ranks OF office
holders to demand that the taxes be
honestly collected aud faithfully applied
Il it he well known that & public
official is getting fifteen or twenty thousand
dollars year to- an office, the work OF
which is performed By others, now is the
time to demand a refa-m in that particular.
II certain interest is so burdened with
spies, and revenue officials that it is fairly
crushed out. now is the .ime to overhaul the
system and put it upon g more economical
and more honest footing. When times are
easy and money is flush, men are content to
put up with old abuses, b1t when the dark
DAYS come, then the axe must be laid at the
root Of the tree.
Il will not do for the republican party
TO cry, Let us alone" So soon as 1t shall
become conservative. 80 soon is g mission
ended. Its course must be on, and fore YER
onward. The reforms of yesterday, have
crvstaiized into the abuse of to-day, and
progression is no less necessary now than
then.
Whenever political party adopts ss e
maxim the policy of keeping things as they
are the end of that party draweth nigh
When mans horizon is bounded only by
the narrow line of his own party. he ceases
to be patriot and becomes only biRot
These are truths.-distasteful perhaps to
Office holders and men whose prospects de
pend upon keeping things as they are. and
intent only upon putting their relatives IN
office-but truths nevertheless, The de-
moralization produced by the large gains
during the late War has had its natural
effect.