The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-01-03
Ghe 9ailg Arens,
Independent IN Eoerythanq.
The Political Rumbl,ne.

Two important political events have CO.
Cured recently, which, when considered
together, as they should be, are Of GREAT
significance, The election of Gov. R,otb
of California, to the United States Senate
and the public withdrawal of the members
OF the Decatur Convention in this State
from all existing party organizations. are
fruit of the same trees. They are the re-
suit of the Independent movement in noli-
tics which may be seen everywhere. INIT
which the farmers have espoused with
such heartiness as to make it almost spre
of success in the agricultural States. This
new political activity has been at work only
few months, but has permanently de-
stroyed the ascendency of old party orpani-
cation IN N )re than one State, and prepared
the way for its own supremacy in a major
ity Of all the States. The fall elections
brought revelation to the Independent
voters as well as the old trading polih
clans. The latter were SO accustomed TO
their easy major1tles, like the regular Re
publican majority in Wisconsin, of 10000
to 10000, that they felt secure. The for
mer had so Ling succomed to maiorities
like the 10000 Republican surplus in Iowa,
that they were almost hopeless. The
event astonishcd both On election dav.
the Republican party of Wisconsin was so
utterly overthrow by the new movement
that it remains stunned to this hour. in
Iva, the Legislature was carried by the
Farmers who found that the formidable
10000 to be conquered needed only to be
attacked, county by county. Had the An
ii Monopolists known themselves before
the election as they did afterward, they
would probably have carried the State.
They had no State committee, spent no
money in canvassing the State ticket, mol
in printing ballots. The Farmers ballots
were printed and distributed by county as
a sociations. 1t is calculated that through
the mistakes made in this unorganizeC
i printing and circulation of tickets, not les,
, 10000 votes were lost by the Farmers
They would have carried the STATE
, had they been marshaled as their oppo
!; nents were. The facts of the Minnesot:
: election are the same The Farmers dic
t not know the secret Of their own strength
I and allywef themselves to be captured hk,
blind Samson They elected their Stat
r Treasurer, and were within couple o
/ hundred votes of electing their Secretar,
l of State. Only ignorance of their owl
!, power lost them the State, The strength
5 developed by the Independent movemen
e in this State was not less marked in tn
last electioo. The Farmers took the feel,
in sixty SIX counties and cast vote 0
n "a, 1888. At this rate, if they had made
J. contest in all the l02 counties of Illinois
they would have had clear majority, ove
all others, of 22,0 00 Hitherto, in Califor
MIA, it was always the Central Pacific Rail
" road that was in power no matter Wheth
d er the Republican or Democratic part
!. nominally carried the day But when tn
to present Legislature had been elected, a ne'
IT power was found to be in possession Of tn
in State. Independent voters had resume
he control Of their own affairs in Californi,
y as they are doing in Iowa, Wisconsin, III
nois, Minnesota, and Kansas. The elet
I'd ton OF Senator Booth is, perhaps, th
Of greatest victory the new party has achieved
The results to which we have allude
show that the future is in the Farmers
: hands. If they continue where they le
off last time, they will carry Illinois, low;
Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, Indian
: Michigan, and Wisconsin at the next ele
ton. What has been already accomplish
ed in few months shows Il at these antiC
patiOns are not extravaganza AS for I'll
Democratic party all it has to do is
crawl out Of the way. The Farmers me,
to form no partnerships with the deat
. Like the early Republican party, whiC
v. wisely refused alliance with either Viii!
or Democrats, they have marked out
course of their own. and will follow it
!, that is needed for success is faithfulne
to themselves ana TO the utterances OF t
| Decatur Convention