The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-22
ALEDo, Oct. 10th. 1875.

ALEDo Oct 10th. 1875.
Never before, in life time devoted to
the interests Of the Democratic party, did
rejoice over a Democratic defeat. In
this instance, the Ohio Democracy so
falsi6ed the glorious record of the past, so
stultifed their own political consciences,
by taking up and advocating what the
Democratic party from time immemorial
had always condemned, in order to pander
to what they deemed popular clamor,
that they received just what they deserved,
an ignominious defeat. l am only sorry
that the defeat was not more overwhelm-
ing, the condemnation more unanimous,
and the rebuke administered more ami
hilating. When great party is so
swallowed up in the ''loaves and fishes, as
to entirely abandon every leading princi
pie Of its organization, it deserves, and
generally meets with disaster. love
the Democratic party for what it has been
in the past its glorious record of q
century, until recently without stain.
The fundamental principles Of the Demo-
cratic party have become engrafted into,
and are part of our Republican form of
government. The principles of the party
laid the foundation of the government.
Under Democratic rule our nation pros
pered and ehcited the admiration and the
envy of the civilized world. II has a
proud and glorious record to which the
party of to-day can turn for inspiration.
How the Democracy of Ohio could engage
in campaign with a platform, almost
every plank of which was reputation Of
past noble record, is one Of those I'M
fathomable things that partisan politics
sometimes bring about. The old saying
that politics makes strange bedfellows' >
was here fully verified, and the Ohio
campaign furnished stranger lot of polit-
ical inc)ngrities than ever before were ad-
justed into party platform. When such
fanatical blatherskites as Wendell Phillips
can find Democratic audiences to applaud
his manaical utterances, it is high time to
stop long enough to ask, whittier are we
tending? / heartily indorse the senti-
ments of The ARGUS, that the course pur-
sued by the Ohio Democracy was worse
than folly,-it was crime. If the fat of
condemnation that has been put upon such
criminal abandonment of all principle, will
only awaken keener and deeper feeling
Of the necessity for political honesty,
and political responsibility, the lesson will
prove to have not been in vain. The bare
majorities received by the Republican can.
didates in poll of over half million
votes. and under such favorable auspicies,
clearly demonstrates to me that had the
Democracy gone into the contest with 9
sound Democratic platform, and then acteC
on the offensive instead of the defensive
they would have carried the state by owe
fifty thousand majority.
The grand reunion of Mercer county
soldiers came off last Friday, and in some
respects was success, in others failure
About one hundred soldiers, carrying
number of tattered flags, preceded b
martial music, p:raded the principal streets
After dinner. several hundred persons cor
gregated in the Court House yard to liste
to the grafton advertised for the occasion
the orator, and the Record, speaking oe tn
effort, says that it was pointed, and suite
to the occasion. Viewing things from
different standpoint, with due Difference I
the Record, say the Grafton was utterl
without point, and unworthy q school DO
in his teens, and most inopportune Tt
his address to informing his audience VIII;
noble and disuterested patriot he was.
throwing aside his calling as a follower
the Prince of Peace, and putting on Il
habiliments of war and marching forth
defense Of the country. From beginnir
to end, the entire address was extreme
silly. AS an instance:-He said thai" CT
never made two things,-a traitor and Il
devil" There is another he migI
have added to the list, FOOL. Evident
the fool-catcher has not perambulated I'll
neighborhood lately, or Aledo might ha
been deprived Of a speech. The renal
der of the address was devoted to cope
heads. He thought it was disgrace
the snake to call Democrat a cope
head, and then explained that he did n
mean all Democrats, but only these W
were traitors, and then he very magnal
mously conceded that there were son
Democrats in the army during the Ia
war. This was the kind of an adore
that the Record says was pointed, a.
exactly suited to the OCCASION" T
ostensible object of this gathering
soldiers, was to take steps towards proof
ing a soldiers monument, and make an q
peal to the public, irrespective of par
prediction, for funds to this end,
there a'nigger in the wood pile?"
The contest for the Office of coun
treasurer Is waxing exceedingly war
The present incumbent, MIR. Graham. ga
the printing under his control to the Ba
ner office, For this grievous offense I
Record has been waging war of exter
ination. They have always had the o.
cial pap Of this county, and they are dett
mined to suck the teat or burst the udd,
The Record charged Mr.. Graham wi
having sought the nomination for treasu
er in 1873, at the hands of both, the
publican and the Independent parti
A question of veracity having been ms
tuted between Mr.. Graham and the r
ord, the latter so cunningly manipulat
the question at issue as to induce a nu
Der of respectable gentlemen to come @
with afidavits, setting forth that n
Graham did seek the Republican nomiI
ton in the spring of 1873. While the
athdavits have q tendency to div,
the public mind from the realsquesti
between Graham and the Record, til
prove nothing, unless it be that theyipro
the Opponents are being used as.cat- pa
to cover up the skeleton behind I
closet" In all the afidavits over viii
the Record gloats, as if it was relieved
heavy load, the time given by the diff
ent Opponents is in May, or previous
May, 1873. Now, Mr., Graham ne,
claimed being anything else tn
Republican until the Independent or p
pies was formed, and previous to Il
time he makes no attempt to deny that
did solicit the nomination for treasurer
the hands of the Republican party. I