The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-09-22

to manage everything, could not know
the wants or the wishes of the PEG
pie of the different localities, and would bt
- felt only in its blunders and its wrongs. II
would be the most irresponsible, and there
fore not only the most oppressive but the
: most corrupt, with which any people have
been cursed To-day. the advances which
we have made towards this system are ma
turing their fatal fruits. The Federal
government is tinted with abuses, with
, iobbery, and with corruption. In the do
minion which it maintains over the re-
constructed southern states organized pill
lage on scale tenfold larger than that
of the Tweed ring is the scan
dial and shame of the country.
Civil liberty is endangered, 1t is now GER
tain that President Cram nurishes the bad
am bition of third term. If the sacred
tradition established by Washington. JEFF
ferson, Madison, and Jackson can be brok-
en- the President may be reelected indef-
nitely, and welding from the centre the
immense patronage which will grow out of
such vast usurpation of authorities by the
federal government, he would grasp the
means of corrupt influences by which to
carry the elections There will be no or
ganized thing in the country of sufficient
power to compete with him or to resist
him. The forms OF free government may
remain, but the spirit and substance will
be changed. An elective personal despo
tism will have been established Roman
history, in the person of Augustus Caesar,
will be repeated Thoughtful men are
turning their minds to the means of escape
from these overshadowing evils. The he |
publican party cannot save the country
Ideas of governmental meddling and CEN
tralism dominate over it. Glass interests
hold it firmly to evil courses. Throngs OF |
ofice-holders. contractors, and Job6ers VINO
have grown up in fourteen years OF Its ad |
ministration--in four years OF war, and
during an era of paper moneY-are too
strong in the machinery OF the party tor
the honest and well-intending masses OF
tbes Republicans. The Republican party
could contribute largely to maintain the
Union during the civil war. 1t cannot re-
construct civil liberty and free institutions
after the peace. A change OF men is
necessary to secure change OF measures.
The Opposition is being matured and edu-
Gated to attack the administration. The |
Democracy, with the traditions of its best
days, will form the nucleus Of the Opposi
ton. 1t embraces vastly the larger body
of men Of sound ideas and sound practices
in political life. 1t must remove every
faint which has touched it in evil times. -
II must become a compact and homo
geneous mass 1t must gather to Its ALI
ance all who think the same things con
corning the interests of our renubllc. 1t
is becoming an adequate and effective in
strument to reform the administration and
to save the country, 1t reformed itself in
order that it might reform the country, |
and now in your name and IL the name OF
the 800, 900 voters whom you represent we
declare that in this great work we will
tread no step backwards Come veal or
come woe, we will not lower our flag. We
will go forward until political revolution
will be worked out and the principles Of
Jefferson and jackson shall rule i'll the ad
ministration of the federal goverDment.-
Let us obey the patriotic maxim Of old
Rome, never to despair of our country
Actual evils can be mitigated bad tenden
cies can be turned aside; the burdens of
government can be diminished; productive
industry will be renewed, and trugality
will repair the waste Of our resources.
Then shall the golden days of the republic
once more return and the people become
prosperous and happy.