The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-05-25
MY Anti-wssvil Campaign.
BY THE HON. 9. s. COX, M. g.
TConcluded.1

speak about p said he to the committee.
That body in full chorus responded, "Wee-
oil. Our member is lodging the Leoomp-
son issue; he ignores the Engleh bill he
seeks to defrAud honest agriculture by seek |
ing votes through wseviI. Governor, hold
him up TO the scorn of az indignant com
munity." Corwin liked the issue. He told
me afterwards that he enjoyed that cam
pAign.
"Fellow citizens" he began, "your mem
Der has voted CO both sides of the Lecomp-
ton question. He desires you to forget how
he disliked Buchanan and deserted Doug
las. He would persuade you that he is Tor
free Kansas, and that if the people can't
vote directly for it, under the English bill,
this?" At this pause the governor produces
my snti.weevil sack. He shows the chat,
cheat, dirt, rust, and 80 forth, clandestinely
introduced for political effect, into my inno-
cent sack and with one of those wonderful
grimeces and gestures, which would have
made bis fortune on the comic stage, he
says, "Your member asks you to vote for
him as Il saddle.bag candidate, on both
sides of Lecompton. How would he per-
suade you ? "Won't you take q little
weevil?' The roars of laughter among
my enemies were indescribAble for noise
and extent. So was told. l did not
hear him but once, and then but short
time. That was after he had spoken at the
capital.
When he went to Newsrk to speak in the
fair grounds, was 50 sudacious ss to 90
ort to hear. hisched my horse and buggy
in the woods, crept quietly under a slouched
hat, aud, with hickory tree as barricade,
/ sat on the grass in hearing distance.
When | reached the grounds there we're
five thousand excited Republicans already
assembled. There is unusual commotion in
the throngs. The governor is driven up in
q barouchs with six white horses On each
horse, above the ear, is flag" Doom With
the cesra candidate" Banners are borne
into the masses, amid shouts, bearing mot
tos: "For Congress, Luoius Case, the
Farmers Friend and the Opponent of
Weevil THE stand, too, is oruamented
with flags, On them ars various emhlems
and notices "Bresd is the Staff of Life.
Cox would Poison it with Weevil ~ "Sun.
set has Gone Down behind Wheat Field !"
"Free Kansas and q Fair Harvest |" Quite
q tumult arises on the stand as the RepublI-
can mSgnAtes of that county rise 10 receive
Governor Corwin. The band strikes up
"Sss the Coaquering Hero Comss."
A chairman was appointed. | knew him
we'll. tie was my aversion. He was from
Granville, a Republican township, which
always gave over two hundred against me,
although there were several churches and q
college there, and but one tavern, where no
liquor was sold except on the sly. may
mention that l got some support there from
O wAter.cure. But that man, as | said, was
my bette noir. He had put questions to me
about taxation and ratio of representation,
though | learned he never paid any taxes,
and only represented bankruptcy. Still he
was model OF class Of politicians of the
pietistio sort.
peep around my tree to hear his open
ing. he says: "E-e-oll-e.ow citizens Before
Go ysrnor CorWine begins his address de
sire to prop-e ound an interr.e ogstory. Ia
there any one here in the crowd who has
any of the weevll wheat sent out by our
member OF Congress ?"
At this point dozen sacks are pitched
into the stand. l trembed for my reputa-
sion, "a committee (accenG on the com
is sitting on the hind eend of this stand, ex-
smiuin into the geaooineness of this new
this demagogue who sends it out. he per-
tends to be the farmers friend. He is the
enemy of there Incomes and he arths. he
would crawl, like the animiles of holy writ,
into the very kneading troughs of the hon
est people ne has betrayed on the Lecomp'
ton bill, (cheers.) Is the committee ready
to report"
Ar this poiEt the committee approach the
81, Id ~ .
Corwin used to call, afterwards, Blue
Belly. He is long, gAngiing, lchabod
Crane sort Of person, with high nass!
twang and the sing-song of exhorsation.
Before he begins, the string band, consist
ing Of three hddles, fife, and a tenor drum,
strikes up The Girl Laft Behind Me-"
sYmpathize with the tune; but the music does
not soften the features of that chairman. He
advises the people thus: "Mr Cheermsn and
fellow otizens-the committee Appinted to
examine this wheat have concl-e-uded their
labors, and are unanimously of opinion
there's weevil in it" (cheers.) After which
@ stray democrat from Newton township, &
little lively on the subject Of grain and it'
Juices, proposed to whip the crowd. HI
was for "WeevIl, Cox, and the constitu-
tion and could lam any abolish In tina
meeting"
II is needless to say how the meeting
treated my friend, and Governor Corwlr
that report. lie began, as he said, seriousl,
on Ceres. The Joke was TOO classical. b.
pictures the condition OF Ksnsas-the bligh
of slavery on its virgin soil, tie men of blooC
and crime-and rises to his climax at ever
turn; land Cor these grievances your cor
gresham proposes-what? To devastAte you
fair fields with weevil," (cheers.)
But l cannot dwell on this phase of tn
campaign. / had to meet my competitor
How | met him ! need not ssy. When
was carried off the stand by an enthusiast
and partial crowd, the last heard him say
in his closing quarter of an hour, we're tn
words, 'wEEvIL, ICeeUH, weevil;" while hurt
ling through the air, at the heads of speaker
moderator, ann committees, from the hand
of indignant democrats, were innumerabl
sacks of weevil. ! learned after wards tina
q census of that weevil shower was taken
and some City more sacks we're miraculousl
takea up that day than l had ever ser
forth
This discussion had changed the tide.
gave an honest account to the people {
that wheat. | begged to allow the genuin
article one year to grow. | ventured to pr,
dict the future fields, 40 often devastated
this insect enemy of agriculture. explaine
leArnedly that it was larva of the pentam
rous beetles Of the tribe triohoptera. Thi
was satisfactory. | described the snout {
the animal how it digs into the innoceI
grain, snd--how the grubs burrow, whe
Matched, and consume the seed. Plscin
my hand upon my vest, told how m
heart yesrned to eradicate this enem
of agriculture from the whea
field. What" l exclaimed, when
find class of wheat imperVious 10 thes
eaemies of your daily bread, am to kee
it secret? Never Let Kansas be bligh
ed, and be bled with the foul curses of civ
conflict, but save, oh save, the fruitful field
of lovely Licking Why, fellow-citizens
the very woodpeckers (cheers for Cox, ar
the enemy Of this your enemy. The re
oriola and tho hlaek bird flau.htar1 alike AZ