The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-02-09
Cav. Hendricks at sprinef,eld.

The members of the Illinois Legislature |
who once belonged to the Democratic party
have been holding a sort of protracted
meeting to consider whether there is any
such party left or not The prevailing i'm
preston has been that there is no such
thing in existence here. At this critical
iuncture, Gov. Hendricks. of Indiana, re-
membering that there was such a thing as
the Calumet dam, made pilgrimage to
Springfield. We are probably not mistak-
en- in assuming that the Governor had call
thither to oppose the expected declaration
that there was nofurther use for the Dem
ocratic party in this State Gov. Hen
bricks attended the caucus, and, although
very reserved, said that three million
Democrats in the country were too strong
to disband, and he looked forward to the
time when they could overthrow the he
publicans.
The parable of the three million Demo
Gratis has done duty before. Even assum,
ing that there was that number in 1868, and
that the same number can be mustered In
l876,it will then be in still more hopeless
minority. The whole vote OF the country
was not polled in 1872, and in 1876 the ag-
gregate vote of the several States will not
be less than 8,5O0,0OO The army OF s.
OOO, 900 will be of no avail in struggle
where numbers decide the result. Since
| 1868, the Democratic party has not grown
stronger. 1t has received no recruits,
Those born in the party have by no means
equaled those who have gone out OF 1t.
Most of the Democrats who get to Congress
| from pocket districts have been in league
with the Republican party for hire and sal
ary. No scheme of corruption or robbery
has been practiced by the Republicans
without giving them share. They are,on
the call of the yeas and nays, quite as sure
to vote for job or grab as the Republl-
cans and it is a ready answer OF the Re
/ publican salary grabbers that the measure
received more votes from Democratic mem
bers than from Republicans, In order to
clinch that fact, and make it a perpetual
stigma upon the Democratic party, these
same members in caucus selected Fernan-
do Wood as their candidate for Speaker.
In fact, the Democratic party in Congress
has been for years the unfailing and I'M
scrupulous auxiliary of the worst and most
dishonest faction of the Republican party!
/ There are some intelligent and able
I Democrats in Congress, but they are SO
iIeW tldt tucy OuiS SCANC W MANI S'iO gu
eral classification more conspicuous. I'm
der these circumstances, how are the three
million Democrats of 1868, depleted by
death, and desertion, and purchase, to be-
come a majority of the largely increased
vote of 1875? Does Mr.. Hendricks imagine
that the farmers and other Retormers will
enroll themselves in party OF which Fer.
uando Wood is the chosen leader, anG
Eldridge the chief bugler? The party o.
Reform intends, among other things, te
$ punish the salary grab. Can they do this
by joining party that gave more votes
for it than even the Republicans? Ever,
intelligent man knows that the Democratic
party, since the War, has served no pur
E pose but to make the Republican party re
spectacle by comparison. Every intelll
gent man knows that, if that party woulC
disband and cease to exist, the elements o
opposition to the corruptions of the Repub
j lican party would very speedily be in tn
8 majority. The Democratic party Is nothing
: but an obstruction and a stumbling block
: and it is to be regretted that Mr.. Hen
J bricks, whose personal record is unsullied
should oppose the now irresistible move
: ment to throw it out of the road. We ven
9 ture to predict that, whatever he or tn
: members 6f the Legislature may do, Their
e will be no Democratic party in the field c
= Illinois politics next fall,-Chtcdgo 1rt
bune.