Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1871-08-04
ny their Fruits ye shall know them

In certain States the elections of this tAl
will give "kepu bhoAn free-IrAders" and
tariff reformers" an opportunity to show
Row much of sincerity there is in their pro
fesslons. They have not been slow to de-
nolnoe Democrats for UNFOLDING the few
Democrats who here aud there openly Gvow
or IN directly aid protective theories We
shall now sec whether thsy are ready to set
such Democrats an example by refusing
their support to Republican protect.onists
In MAINE, as IS known TO every iutelhge
voter Of the State, the Democrats have Poi
themselves squAfely upon q nou-proIec
tive platform, and have nOmi stsd Au able
cleArheAded, resOlGIe, and uncompromis-
ing cham pion Of free trade. The Republic.
ans Of that State have shown by their works
these many yssrs What sort of tariff they
want. They pushed forward HAMLIN, and
still sustain him, though be is as bIgoted q
proteotionist as GREELEY himself. MORRILL,
long the very uglemAn of the. most iuiqull-
Gus protection, row sits with HAMLIN rs the
other Senator from tbAi State. MIR. BLAINE,
although be has shown that he knows better,
as Speaker of the House framed the very
committee by which all reforms were so in
fAmously ohoked Ia the last Congress, and
70 his lasting shame be II said, indeceniiy
put upon committee TO frame tariff laws
Two members who we're VIGOROUSLY so inter.
osted that their very presence on the floor
WAS Sn insult 10 the House MoKRELL. the
member for BESSIE uer steel, and MCCARTHY,
the member for Syracuse salt. Nhether
Mr.. BLAINE means TO Outrage alike public
decency and the confidence Of liberal Re
publiosns by creating another such CON nit
tee, no living man can tell. with such lead
ers the party naturally prossrstes itself IL
worship OF GRANT, who Iases 10 proteouou
instiucsively, like ell ignorant men. Every
vote cast for the party any where therefore,
will be vote for that infamous system Of
taxation which has ruined the hip-balldiug
Of MAINE, and plundsrsd the labor Of the
whole couuLry 10 enrich monopohsIs.
What can the Republican frse-trsders OF
MAIZE honestly have 10 do with such par
ty? With what shadow Of excuse can they
now refuse support to the Democracy, which
has so completely buried old issues aud rld
itself of Bourbonism in it's attitude, aims,
and management? The Republican who
may vote against CHARLES p. KINBALL this
fall, no matter what his professions may
have been, will publicly confess that be
cares more for party or for place than iUr
that reform of ell others which the State Of
MArSE in especial most intensely needs. In
MASSACHUSETTS the battle lines are not yet
drawn out. In PENNSYLVANIA the Demo
Gratis cannot well be blamed if they move
slowly towards a reform which thus far not
one Republican 10 the State even prerends
TO advocate in earnest. But Iowa presents
q better test, and Ohio perhaps the very
best yet offered, of the sincerity of Repu bli-
can ee-traders. Grant that platforms are
Of little meaning grant that Governor or
State officer has comparatively little power
10 hasten or retRrd tariff reform bear BY
all means with any weak or nervous brother
who, urging these pretsXts, may vote as
machine for Safe officers, and yet insist that
he surrenders no principle but Dhdt lciH
he do in the election Of a Senator?
Senator Harlan, of Iowa, has been the
consistent and conspicuous champion OF
every form Of jobbery and robbery, political
and Legislative. Enough that he is one of
the worst, because one OF the most hypocrit-
ical and inscriptions, opponents OF tariff
refOrm-Rs OF everything else that may put
limit to private gain from public power or
other mems puTs's.
Senator Sherman, of Ohio, has been for
years and is still the chairman of the FL
nance Committee Of the Senate. Every in
famous law which has been added to our
tariff at the demand of monopolists since
the war has had the aid of John Sherman.
! MS Senator cynically ad mits that he knows
nothing about the subject, and has avowed
hls intention OF spending much Of his vaoA-
ton in studying it-much as some rogue
when arrested in profitable ioh at once
puts on the air Of idiocy, and homes to Oe,
off lust once as q simpletonl For vssrs
it has been the duty of John Sherman 10
know whether men we're robbed by other
men through laws which he recon mended.
The millions have suffered because of his
impudeut ignorance; they could hardly
have suffered more had his ignorance been
dishonesty. Had John Sherman known his
dnsy and done his duty, as q man in his po-
sinon was bound to do, the people would
have been robbed Of less BY hundreds of
millions yearly odious monopolies might
have been less complainant aud Ieas readv
to pour out money for his re election, but
the people would have thanked him. Onlv
last spring, when the consumers of coal and
salt were rejoicing over the splendid vote in
the House, they saw both bills for their re
lief deliberately strangled by John Sherman
in order to secure the support of his ricl
friends the monopolists-for the cominI
election.
This man, at least, hes made it moraIl
impossible for any honest reformer to vot
for him, or for anybody who will vote 70
him. Strike John Sherman from the f
nance Committee. and whether his succesac
be q Republican or Democrat protec
t;ouist or q free trader, he will at any rat
remember how the people treated job
Sherman for betrayal Of their interests an
rights. Iths needed lesson. The defsl
ofHarlan in Iowa is not leSs needed if pull
lie Generalization is ever TO be checked
Those men are sdrOit 'ricksters in esC
State they will secure the selection Of the
4nni. a. S.....a. =. n.naidntaa for the LaRi