Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-09-25

10 be At that time in official position found +
themselves 70 be controllers and directors Of y
sums OF money we had not dreamed Of be- |.
fore In the course Of financial transactions.
When the war ceased then the party in !
power always finds il an exceedingly diff.
cult thing TO 70 back 70 the condition Of
affairs before It bsgan, and these vAu sx-
penditures are prolraoted from the interests .
Of individuals ard almost from the nscessi- {
lies Of the parties themselves For long
period We fnd in the histsry Of all peoples I
after great war that IL is always necessary Z
for some political changes to occur, 80 'na' I
the financial condition Of the people ma De i
carried back to that which II heo been IN {
state of peace, that the expenditures may De ,
reduced 10 that scale, that the burden may |
fall "a little as possible upon the labor OF /
the people. | shall not speak TO Jou to-day
In any aubecomiug partisan spirit. On the
contrary, will 20 80 far az to illustrate my
idsas by what took place in the ranks Of the
Democratic party. | want you to consider
that stand here with an earnest desire to
serve your interests and the interests Of the
people Of the whole country. have
come TO be 40 old man / owe very much
TO the people Of this State for their kind
ness. / owe very much to the party TO
which belong for its partially to me, and
| owe 5ery much to my political opponents,
although At timss they may have said rough |
things Of my conduct and character, or per
hAps entertained harsh feelings towards me.
Perhaps that 10 to be expected IN the heat
of political campaign. For all that, |
have experienced so much OF courtesy and
kindness from them that should be less
than . man when / contemplate all classes
of nv fellow-citizsns IL did NOT at this pc.
Rod Of nv life feel Q renewed dssirs to do
tina. which should be for thsir good and the
good Of the whole country. Nov, what
did you find to be the state Of things last
fal2
TuE REFORM MOVEMENT LAST FALL.
After the vasI expenditures OF the war in
the City Of New York, which wAs under
Democratic government, you have heard Of
the misdoings there aud the vast frauds
which we're perpetFAtsd; you have found that
a body Of men up to that time without iufiu'
ence, who we're without ability to work out
fortunes for themselves in the ordinary pur-
suits Of life, yet who, when these great out
" LAYS and the consequent Inhalation Of money
took place, found themselves suddenly the
Is dispensers OF enormous wealth, and they
re fell before that temptation, aud at length
W became public plunderers, and il became
~ necessary they should be driven out from
~ the position they held, In the prosecution
e of that purpose We wished to visit punish
msnt, not merely in order that il might de-
prive them Of their official places but 90 that
r they should cease to do evil thereafter.
There was another great object, that the
public, growing mad in its pursuits Of wealth
and forgetting all things in It's admiration
Of men who gained il, should be brought
L go al kkaK -
Of and honor aud fairdealing, with poverty, IL
more TO be sought and desired than
boundless wealth gained by unjust and i'm
10 proper means. When we impsached the
,. Judges Of our courts, who we're our political
frisnss, we didn's do 1t merely to drive
them from office, 80 that they should no
. longer sndangsr the safety and security OF
II the public. We had higher object. Thai
~ the whole judiciary Of our State and the
great profession of the Law should be Gwak-
~ ensd 70 q sense OF the honor Of their posi-
TO ton aud regard for equity, and brought
IN. back 10 the same state Of high morality
m which once marked the Judiciary Of onl
State, and that they should be stopped II
the career which made the property, char
're noter, and homes of of all our citizens inse-
cure. In standing before you to-day d.
IT'D not come here for the purpose Of breaking
II. down the Republican party or the Demo
cratic party. / stand here in the hope tina
I may do some little thing TO elevate boil
al parties 10 higher plane Of morality, tina
'r they may bs,by Ihsir,oTcAnzAtions,o of servie'
p TO the people OF this country. They ar
10 necessary and useful in the political orgAhi
N zation OF the country. Their discussions
on though often harsh and hard, tend after a.
sx- to keep public men within the limits OF RICH
an and do much to educate the people IS 10 TIT
act true principles Of Government. We cannO
he 20 on without parties, l stand before yoI
sJ TO day to advocate policy not merely tina
to ! honestly believe will advance the INTEREST,"
e Of the party TO which / belong, but which
OF believe will also place that great party which
of has ever been opposed to me on the highe
OF level Of morals which it ought to occupy au'
IRE wants 10 occupy in the future. Ii IL tru
OF that the Republican party has been dong 70
lat some time past what il did not mean to dc
'se but all experience proves this tn be true
TO that no political party can purify itssl
rly How was ii here a year ago ?-l Allude
uet the corruption 10 the City Of New Yorl
Try, You will all remember that they were frs
It's. Of all assailed by members of the Democra
We ic party. You will remember that one yei
OF ago the Republican journals said that the Pr
honorable one when he stood up in the fac
of the Democratic Convention, when appal
log entity the fortunes Of that party we're at stalk
Dry TO rebuke the wrong doors, and to say th'
oW unless We can gain an honorable victory v
l will have none at all. BE, with Mr.. Tide
cal M O'Conor, And other members Of h
If, Democratic party, were foremostin unsArt
The ing these frauds. We nominated = tick
q made up of honest msu. We went befoi
nR, the public and asked their support. VIII
csc we're we told by the Republicans. "Wh
APP you men have acted very fairly and honor'
ion bly, on the whole. This is an uuusual spec
nal tAole, nevertheless We say that although "
Ny try TO purify your party you cannot do i
her the only way Is TO 20 under for time az
cen have a change throughout" Gentlemen
ing, that was good tor us then it is good I
and them now. Applause and laughter.
the YOU will think for . moment you will 81
lied the difficulties in the way OF a party in
in attempt to purify itself Ii is very ca
in thing to denounCs bad men, but is that Il
ma nature OF the Fuolie evils which sprAng
!, to from the vast expenditures of the war tn
arse involve not only bad men but good me
so. You have many offices in the Governme
Mr.. held by good and honest men who are int
ested IN the continuation of eIpenditur
that are not now necessary. 1t is a We
IL easy thing to be a speculative reformer, b
when the question comes among old Al
~ well known political friends whether sor
~ Office held by an honest and honorable ma
ms ms and who naturally thinks it ought TO
ing continued, should be abolished, the Difficult
@on is apparent and rstGrds the elimination
:" the evils which 10 ten Thousand differe
a. ways permeAte the whole body polite as
.Ie cancer. You will find it is not an ca
t sne thing. You will find it is not ia humsn n
:. ture, particularly pending . great CO
~ vaSs, to make these cutting reforms.
81, the very nature Of things this Is an off
. A. that must de done by men opposed to the
NJ | tried il in this State. We claim, some
- rs, to have all our life long bastlsd vi
corruption in our own party, yet when
but -. - -, a.. -,