The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-05-24
-. II. O.
ANTI-WEEVIL WHEAT.

l had, in my exultGtion, forgotten the postal
laws. had neglected to ad wise the Agri-I
cultural Department. l had the sacks filed
directed them, misoellADeously, all over
the district. What were republicans or
democrats TO me "Weevll or Anti
Weevi"-thAt was the question.
vas threatened with prosecution BY the
federal authorities. But still the weevil-
proof wheat was carried over Licking, Pick
away, and Franklin by the score. The cam
pAign wsXsd hot in September. A demo
crHt had bolted, and was to run against me.
He was n fluent lawyer, and quite ready to
arrAign me on Lecompton and the English
bill. Indeed, in our first "joint high" dis
cussion, he did arraign me. But the grAvA-
men of his charge was shat l had violated
the postal laws in sending out among the
farmers bogus kind Of wheat. He hs-
rangusd the people to show that it was not
anti wesvil; it was full of cheat, weevil, and
ell sorts Of unolesn things. My sacks were
ransAcked, my wheat sifted. 1t was ground
betw cen the upper and neither millstones Of
popular opprobrium. Ths campaign grew
hot and hotter. became alarmed. Posters
were stuck on trees, sheds, and tavern sign
posts, in all the townships and towns:
"WEEvIL WEEvIL Down WITH THE WFEvIL
CANDIDATE
Handbills were circulated, charging me with
an insidious desire to ruin the agriculture Of
al honest. hard working people. Central
committees issued private circulars and sta
tistical tables, explaining the deleterious
influence Of weevil upon the farming inter
est. The staff of life was called in as q
-, ba
rangued great crowds, in sohool-houses and
in town halls, on the deeterious nature Of
the congressman and weevil. The first was
an enemy TO free Kansas, and the second to
fair agriculture. The best talent of Ohio
then full of elocutionRry genius, was evoked
TO show the connection between LecomptoE
Aad wheAt-weevil and the English bill.
Ny frieDds were in despair. Our county
central committees were demorslized. HAstJ
meetings we're called. Men unused to de-
spair-old jackson hickories, never uprooted
in our dem ocratic forest by any adverse blasts
shook their heads wisely, Ike BurleiEhs
their young and sanguine candidate hat
spoiled the campaign. II was bad enough
70 be between Douglas and Buchanan, snc
take the FIRE Of both and the Republican,
also; but weevil weevil was to much.
l tried to explain. Bah! | tried to men
ton, in g meek way, that my paternal rels
tive had tried it, and - Bah
l mentioned, on one occasion
only, that was o Gisinterested friend Of
that farming interest which had once elected
me, and whose continued suffrage and crops
were dear 30 my heart. Bah What IL
the name OF jackson, and 70 forth, was OIL
candidate about when he broke the postal
laws TO send his internal wheat over the
district Fit we're good wheat, eveD--if ii
we're weevil proof-how could the fact be
proved until after the election next year
Heavens That had not occurred to me.
All over the district, where my weevil had
gone, my sacks we're emptied. and bitter
vindictive partisan opponents had filled the
empty sacks with the scrapings OF shelI
barns, their barrels, their boxes, and their
bags. Athdaviis we're procured BY my
friends, which stated that on q dark and
rainy night two Radicals we're seen going to
barn with a lantern, where they emptied
my invaluable seed wheat upon the floor,
and hlled the sacks with the awfuest offal
My wheat, which was proof strong as holy
writ, was dshonored by tribes light as cir
1t was shown up to prejudiced and gaping
voters IS "oheat." 1t was worse than chat
] will not say what these bitter partissns
mixed with my uDadulterAted seed. l re-
call especially one orator. His name so
sorbed quarter of the alphabet, and be
made the weevil question paramount. Was
there any spot from Fallsburg to New Hol.
land, running over two hundred miles o.
arabic land from the hazel bushes Of Red
Brush 90 the oorn6elds Of that classic sol
Wnore Logan did mot anaak that Jogaraox
rspoEtsd--wAa there one man. woman. O,