The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-10-24

The farmers Of Illinois have hardly fail
ed 10 notice the success achieved by their
friends in Iowa and California. In both
States they have commended against pre-
vious overwhelming Republican majorities,
and in both have been able TO secure very
important results. 1t must be remember
ed that all the Offices in Iowa were held by
men elected by party. The entire ma
chinery Of election was in the hands Of pol
iticians. The farmers Of Iowa had TO con-
tend against all this, and have succeeded
in electing not only all the local officers in
majority Of the counties, but probably a
majority of all the Reso members Of the
General Assembly.
There is no State ticket to be voted for
in Illinois this year, nor any legislative
ticket; but the people have to elect full
corps of county officers in every county.
The local oficeholders are the working
force of party. They use their public pos
ition to keep themselves and their set in
power everywhere. The farmers Of ILL
nois will next year have TO elect Legisla-
ture and members Of Congress, and half
that battle will be won if they turn out the
politicians this year and put their own
| friends in. Had the farmers Of Iowa, like
| those in Illinois, had the advantage of a
preliminary election in which they could
have first broken up and destroyed the
local party machinery, and filed all these
small offices with their own men, they
would have carried every county in the
State.
Let the farmers of Illinois remember
these facts. In every county where they
permit a Republican or Democratic county
! ticket 10 be elected this year, they will be
furnishing money and motive-power to be
} used against themselves in the greater
,, fight Of next year. In every county where
they now break down party domination,
E they will not have TO encounter it next
year. The farmers must remember that
1 they are fighting this time for their own in
9 terest and cause. All who are not witt
G them are against them. The very fac
. that Republican OF Democratic ticket il
4 nominated proves that the party is no
e with the popular cause, and is Of necessity
!. trying 10 defeat it.
a The two great wrongs imposed upon thu
farmers as a class are those growing out o
!. protective tariffs and watered railroad
stock. The former virtually taxes all ex
y ported grain and meat 40 per cent by re
quiring the farmer TO pay gold dutles U
y that amount upon the goods which the for
p eigner gives him in exchange. The latte
d imposes a transportation tax TO pay inter
4. est on capital never invested. 1t is per
Z fectly idle TO expect that either of the oil
1t parties will redress, or attempt TO redress
d either of these wrongs 1t is perfectl
a. idle to look to back-pay Congressman 70
. reform of any kind. The high tariff gen
try and the Credit Mobiler never failed /
X get a majority in Congress for anythin
s they asked The great corporations hav
" have had control, for all practical purposes
I'd of both political parties, in both executiv
u aud legislative branches. Against thes
m two sets of conspirators the people mus
II act themselves directly at the polls, an
~ the first thing they must do is to strip me
Of nopoy Of its strongest supports, the barr
at acle ofiiceholders. Chicago Tribune.