The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-09-28
The 9S1ai'g Arens.
THE NEW YORK REPUBLICANS.

The New York Tribune, in an article on
the Republican ticket and platform in that
state, says
1.-THE convention rushed through a
wholesale commendation of the rest of the
ticket, and adopted 10 riotous haste a
string of resolutions which touched upon
not one vital controverted subject except
the debt and the currency. Upon these
topics the voice of a New York convention
must of course be emphatic, and no par
ticular credit is due for speaking when it
would have required courage to be silent.
What honest and reassuring word has this
convention uttered upon any other ques-
ton whatever? 1t has clamored for the
protection of every citizen in his rights
against Klu. Klux and White Leaguers, but
has no care for his rights against swindling
carpet bag Legislators and usurping gov
ernors. 1t has denounced the revolt of
the people of Louisiana against their fraud
ulent state government, and has emphatic
ally approved the Infamous abuse of power
by which that government was forced up
on them. 1t has 'reafirmed" the princi
pies of the old Republican party whose
name is unworthily bears, and pointed
with pride" to the achievements of the
past in which it has no share; but it has
no sense of the duties of the present and
no promises to make for the future. 1t
offers to the people no hope of reform in
corrupt civil service, no prospect of the
punishment of thieves in office or relief
from the Shepherds, Harringtons, Jaynes,
Sanborns, Durells, and kelloggs, who have
brought such disgrace upon the American
name. 1t has no word of sympathy for
the oppressed south, no rebuke for its
plunderers, no Indignation at the stupen-
dous crimes against the suffrage which
have been committed in that unhappy re
gion. 1t has no dsapproval to express of
the gag law, or the custom house abuses
or the complications of the revenue sys-
TEN. Upon the special interests of the
state Of New York it has nothing to say
1t has no scheme of tax reform, no opinion
upon any of the constitutional amend
ments, no policy respecting the railroads
or the canals. OF all the state conven
tons thus far held by either party, it pre-,
sents the vainest show of empty rhetoric
and the weakest array of positive declara-
tons. The Democratic platform if it was
not framed by sincere men at least embod
led the opinions which sincere Democrats
are supposed to entertain. The Republi-
can platform is merely such a shutting and
evasive document as the world might nat
urally have expected from deiiberative
assemblage ruled entirely by Office holders
whose principles mean moth ng but salary
of SO much month. There is one idea to
he gathered from the resolutions of the
Utica convention-and there is only one.
That idea we need hardly say, is the
reelection of President Grant. 1t is Sc
cret project no longer. 1t could not have
been much more plainly avowed If it had
been stated in formal resolution, as it
was by the kindred convention of office
holders in South Carolina. The duty of
disappearing the Third Term movement
has been put to this Convention in the
most direct manner, not merely by the in
tangible agency of public opinion, but by
the action of political bodies and the ex-
ample of Republicans in other States
The Convention has not merely refused to
condemn; it has done its utmost to ap- |
prove. There is no Misunderstanding its
meaning, and there can be no doubt of the
influences by which such discreditable
result has been brought about If the
Republican ticket should be elected, with |
the platform standing as it is in all it's ma,
ked uglness, it would be at once recog
nized that the Third Term movement had
gained an enormous advantage. and the
country cannot afford to run such risks