Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-07-30

There IS resolution which allows the sec
rotary Of war TO sell all the old, uuserviceA-
bic arms in his possession. That was pass.
ed 10 1868. When the Germans had almost
destroyed the regular army OF France, some
Of those enthusiastic friends prolonged the
war for months BY selling this ten millions
worth Of arms. Let me illustrate the case.
Suppose during the late war here the South
ern army had no Arms, and Prussia had inr-
uished them with her needle gun, and set 10
work day and night 20 mHuutHeture smmu
uitioD, what would we have SAD Nouiu
il not have been the most untriendly ac' InS'
a nation could commit? AZ the same time
we had the Alabama claims before the
copptrv and was showing lighting spirit.
W. claimed millions OF damages Tor the
- ,bing which Grant allowed TO be done |
=. The military ring here. They knew /
tbsv were for the French, and that is the
reason, nv fellow citizens, that they don't
boast of this ten millions Gen. Grant got
through at the risk Of losing the respect Of
every nation. But the Germans will reool.
leo. il. They well know who il was that
armed the French The Germans will re-
collect that the same arms they themselves
used in fighting down the rebellion were
used 10 fighting their fathers, their brothers
aud their sous. Applause. They sWore
they would never vote for Gen. Graut.
They will stand by their oath.
GOVERNMENT PATRONAGE.
There is one thing fsilow-oiIizeHs, which
| this great movement must necessarily bring
about. The patronage of the government is
| 10 be curtSiled. As it now is we are not
people enjoying seltgoverumeus. There are
sixty thousand officers whose names appear
in the register There then are the clerks
and the deputies. Take them ell with their
relatives aud friends and there is an army
ofhalfa million active, intelligent men ready
to Eight ~ the bid Of any president who tells
them they must procure his denomination
and reelection. IL is powerful impedl-
ment 10 our way. SO long as this patronage
remains so long may we know We are not a
free people. This was not so at the torns-
, lion ofihe oTernmens, and when we had a
Washington, a Jefferson, or a Madison for
r. our president. Then the government was
[ more limited in its extent, and office hoder'
were few; but now with the increase OF oul
government this power has become alarm
: ing aud dangerous. Suppose the governor
of Illinois, Gov. Palmer, now had the ap
pointing of the Judges Of our supreme court
our circuit courts, and thereby Indirect,
their clerks aud sheritfs, with the count
Judges and Justices of the peace all over II
}. liuois, would you think you we're a free PEG
o pie Would you think you were enjoying
n self.government2 Would il not then be 81
q easy thing for Gov. Palmer to secure q re
g nomination by acolamAtion? Just reHSo
3 Que moment. All that power might be II
o the hands Of our governor. AT. that poWe
q the president actually has No wonder yol
8 see him renomiuAted by reclamation II
!. Philade phiA under an immense amount 0
. enthusiasm. Laughter.
Il NV friends u will be years before a.
i these reforms can take place We can on
4 begin a, the top by demanding that no pres
o ideut shall serve more thRn one term. Their
. is practical way to get st II. Take ava
e from the president the chance to use tn
o patronage Of his office, This now Is tn
! practical point we can touch towards civi
Z reform, The American people have under
!. stood that and acted upou that ever sluc
d the patronage was increased 40 much. Eve
70 since $50, nearly forty years ago, they hAv
IS never, with the exception OF Que case RI
~ elected president to second term. Nj
70 Van Buren was renominsted by bis part
(. and was beaten BY al overWhel lining ma o
10 ity. The people charged him with havn
N used his office for the purpose OF procurin
DR. a second term. That charge lies 81 th
" door of Gen. Grant. There has never bee
q a greater effort 70 secure a renOmInstiO
re than at the present time. The America
" people have adopted j. az o rule, | So,
Is Lincoln WAS elected the second time. "
,t we're then in the midst Of q most terrib
oi war. There was some excuse for osstiu
% aside the rule for once. But does that AZ
10 ply to Grant They tell US everything
A lovely We have plenty Of money. A p,
r per dollar is better than . gold Que, {
II, Gov Oglesby told the people Of Chicsg
u the other night. But they didn't believe
a Laughter To tell the people Of Chicag
,s that while we are paying premium Of
ot or i per cent. between our paper none
D, and gold, that our money Is the best,
IN rather too much. He might have told iht
N somewhere below in the river bottoms, b
10 in Chicago or in the city OF Alton such tsI
le won't 20 down. Bot they say all is lovely
,e rs.elect Con Grant again there is no CT
" sis. ] tell you Ibe American people kne
ID shat they we're about when, for nearly for
10 years, they never voted for a presidal
~ twice. lSis the most despouc power "
n ind anywhere on the globe. Everywhe
O. when man has an appointment he cam
D be removed except for cause. But here
q man is not altogether in favor Of the RI
y ing power bis head flies Off. Now, here
1t our worthy president, DR.. English. whom
10 have known for thirty years, / believe
}. know him better than bs know
himself Now, suppose be though
IS Gen. Grant the only proper person 10 b
Il voted for and he held Office under him, tbs
' would be all right; but suppose he though
!. Horace Greeley would do quite as well, an
il said 90, where would bis head be 10 morrov
e Il would be in the basket Now are we a
q independent people? We talk Of our indu
D pendencs. We say we are fine and indt
' pendent people yet il man is known l
o have 40 opinion, perfectly his right, 10 n
gard to the inoompetency of this man, he
e Immediately cast out and must get b
q bread wherever be can find it. Reflect upo
. IL and you will see that it is necessary |
4 CurtAil this patronage and make our officer
10 free and independent, men who have
d right to walk upright and are not afraid
q being denounced al Washington and cas-
- out Of office the next morning. Ny God
I are we to suffer that any longer2 Yet
l. will require years 70 accomplish entire re
q form. Let, say, first the term of the PREF
dent be fixed at four or six years, and the
z make him ineligible to a second term. b.
!, now we must defeat Gen. Grant, who
1 renominatsd only BY office holders.
{ knew whereof speak Six months ago 20
. could find scarcely leading Republican !
T. the State Of Illinois who was in favor of ia
. denomination Of Gen. Grant, outside of th
= ofioe-holders. But the moment the tim
4 came near he screwed the party down. Tn
Q members Of Congress became entirely ser
o vile, because If they opposed him they loi
' the rightto recommend, and there lies tb
- fact that our Congress in point Of charAote
ability and standing is not half as good a
ii was twenty or thirty years ago. No ma
can now be elected and sustain himself j
Congress unless he understands how I
Z manguvre these things; unless he under
a stands how to manipulate federal oficei
-biakw ununarn 30 Tho rnorrarf IL Ioaa