The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-06-02
LETTER FROM HON. J. R. MCCORMICK,
Hawley Reviewed.


an additional defence of Mr.. Hawley of Ill
inois in reference to his action upon the
bill granting lands TO the Rock Island x
Pacific railroad company, in which the wri-
ter is pleased TO use language toward me
which is so much like Mr.. Hawley's own
production that | think he must have
written the article himself The writer
says: The disinterestedness OF Mr. NC
Cormick is shown in his writing SO mean
and untruthful letter about colleague
and that, too, 10 the editor oil heWsPace
per who wrote 70 him only Tor prlei
statement Of the uniayorahle features Oh
the bill and not the facts. Vow facts are
lust what / supposed the editor OF the /
Union wished 70 deal IN, and gave them, |
and that is lust what Mr.. HSwley disikcd. !
If have acted meanly toward colleague |
let Mr. Hawley and his friends point it
out. i'll have stated anything untruth /
fully, let il be exposed. ! challenge the |
attempt Ii is true Mr. Hawlcy, on the |
floor Of the House Of Representatives,
when taxed him with having suppressed 7
an amendment 10 Senate bill 1913, agreed
upon in committee, declared my statement
untrue. but he was met with the evidence |
Of it, truth in such a way that It put him
to silence, which circumstance | think he
has not forgotten.
Again the writer says-"The editor Of
the Union was fully aware that Mr.. Me
Cormick was an available man to apply 70
because he knew that he opposed MIR.
Iawley ON the Rock Island appropriation
two OF three years since. The Union pub
lished the article at the time and knew
that MIR. Mccormick was no friend TO MIR.
llawley Now the last statement is not
true The editor of the Union did not
know that Mr. Mccormick was no friend
of Mr.. Hawley, because there is nothing in
the debate revealing the fact and Mr.
Ilawley knows that our relations were cor
dial IL is true ! attempted 10 reduce the
appropriation for the Rock Island armOry,
because / believed considerations Of public
economy required It but | did NOT blame
Mr. Hawley for wanting u make 1t large
a. he was the immediate Representative Of
the place and | apprehend II was alluded
IN by the Rerieo ~ disparage me with the
people OF Rock Island, who would natural
is desire q liberal appropriation for their
city and who certainly should not be hlam-
ed for such wish.
Again attention is called to the fact
that ] am Democrat, which unfortunate
circumstance is alluded to. | suppose, TO
dispararc me with Republican,, These
appeals 20 local and political preiudiccs
will catch but few and prove a poor de
Tense for Mr. Hawlcy in the minds az On
lrhtcued men Of his own party.
But am charged with having favored
land grants 70 q great extent Well IT all
that is stated were true, ! would have
gone a good way in that direction, but how
does that palate a ike oftense in Mr.
llawlcyP Will the Rcrisu answer it2 ]
will state that | never was in favor Of the
land grant 20 the Northern Pacific road be
cause IL was q grant so larrge that the land
if sold at two dollars and fifty cents per
acre would in my opinion, have produced
more money than the entire building of
the road would cost, and because there
was no restriction on the company in the
sale Of the lands which should have been
secured 20 actual settlers at u reduced
price | was. however, on leave of alb
scuce with a SICK family at the time the bill
passed and for which | was charged with
having lodged the vote. | was in favor of Il
grant ofland to aid in building railroad from
salt Lake City to Portland, in Oregon,
with provisions that the lands should be
sold to actual settlers at two dollars and
fifty cents per acre, and the alternate see
ti1ns reserved and sold by the government
az two dollars and fifty cents per acre also
thus securing TO the government one dol
lar and twenty five cents per acre for all
the lands embraced in the grant, and also
securing an outlet to the people of a
sparsely settled territory which has no nav
igable rivers or other means Of reaching
the ocean. gave my cordial support to
measures Of this kind of internal improve
ment which neither deprived the treasury
Of money or withheld the lands from set
tiers, and which were calculated to mater
ially aid the development of the Territories
and their rapid settlement. Mr.. Hawley
gave US no support on these wise and need
tul improvements but when company
having influence in his district came TO
Congress, as.did the Rock Island & Pacific
whose railroad had been finished foryears,
and who had long ago obtained large and
valuable grant 10 aid its construction and
who at the very time the bill passed grant
ing them additional lands were receiving
large dividends from its earnings, he
thought proper to champion the bill, in
doing which he seemed to regard neither
the rights of the settlers nor the common
courtesy which opposing members on the
floor Of the House had right TO expect,
and TO which they were entitled at his
hands And now as he has had published
letter after letter from gentlemen who
voted with him on the measure, and who
fully exculpate both him and themselves,
suppose he let us hear the other side, and
have the petition Of the settlers published
also the debates of the House Of Repre-.
sentatives in the State of Iowa. pending
the passage of the resolution asking the
President 10 veto the bill Suppose as he
has had Mr. Palmer's letters published, he
asks Messrs McCrary, Cotton, and other
Iowa members, 10 give their reasons for
voting against the bill and as the Moline
ReCic,r thinks should have given the edi-
tor OF the Union the uniayorablc points in
the bill and not the facts, suppose he i'll
huence Mr., Hawley next winter to have a
committee Of Congress investigate the cir
cumstances under which the bin was pass.
cd in order to obtain all Of its unfayorable
points Let Mr. Fillmore. attorney for
the Rock Island q Pacific railroad, be pu;
upon the witness stand and state all he
knows about the means used in securing
the passage Of the bill Let Mr.. Scott
the President Of the road, state Just what
il cost him to secure the passage Of the
bill, If anything state how much and {
whom paid. Let the attorney employed
by the people state just what amount he
was offered tOabandon their cause. Lee
an investigation be had in reference II
combinations between the friends of thi,
measure and other bills which have passed
Congress. Let us have the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the truth
and when that is had the editor of the Re
cler may come To the conclusion that Mr.
Mccormick did not give to the editor Of
the Union all the unfavorable features il
IN the bill When that investigation i.
had, the people Of Rock Island may com,
the conclusion that after all Mr.. Meteor
mick S opposition TO an appropriation O
100000 for public buildings in their city
was not the result of dislike to their WORTH
Representative After that investigation
is held, Republicans may come 20 the con
clusi0n that, after all, Mr.. Mccormick
Democrat as he is, does not merit the ap
pellati0n OF mean and untruthful.
Respectfully,
j. II. MCCORMICK.