The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-12-23
ILLINOIS DEMOCRATIC STATE
COMMITTEE.
Fr0mthe OTsieGgo Times 29d,
PRELIMINARY.

From the chicago Times S2d,
PRELIMINARY.
SPRINGFIELD. ILL.,, Dec 2l.--The report
Of such a gathering as that Of the Demo
cratic State Central Committee and
invited Democrats here to-day naturally
divides itself into several sub-heads-as,
who was present, What they said, what
they did, and what they thought Wheu1
the committee was called to order, in
parlor No. 2 of the Leland Hotel, today
at IL NJ, by Hon G. II. Mccormick, chair
man, il was moved by r. X. Goodell that
in the absence of the secretary, Mr..
Shirley, MI. Bergen, of Morgan, should
call the roll, and that motion being carried
the roll was called and it appeared that
THE FOLLOWING WERE PRESENT:
From the state at large, c. II. Nc
Mccormick, of Cook; W. X. Murphy, of
Perry, by his proxy, Geo. Judd; j. B.
Mann, of VermiIlion, by his proxy, N. Nj.
Bandy; @. D. HOLES, OF Bond B. f. Der
gen, of Morgan. OF the district mem
bers the following were present First
district, R. E, Goodell, Cook; Second dis
trict. Thos. +. Courtney, Cook; Third
district, Thos. Shirley, by proxy, McCor-
mick; Fourth district, r. Bishop by proxy.
Dan Cameron; Sixth district, j. s. Drake,
by proxy, 9, A. Reyes; Seventh district
w. A. Steele, Will; Tenth district Geo.
Edmunds, Jr., Hancock; Eleventh district,
j, Bush, by proxy, G. w. Jones;
Twelfth district, H. P. Subway,
Christian; Fifteenth district. Cochrare, of
Shelby, by proxy; Sixteenth district, LIB.
Parsons, Of Clay; Seventeenth district,
he. Gerke, Madison Eighteenth district.
7. f, Bouton, Union; Nineteenth dis
trict, s. 2. Lands, Wabash. Besides
these
THE FOLLOWING REPRESENTATIVE DEMO-
Gratis,
many Of them SCARED with many po-
htical conAict,an all well known through
out the state, were present,viz Samuel A.
Buckmaster, of Alton; G. A. Kerner,
st. Clair; T. +. Merritt. Marion Samuel
Reed, Lincoln; A. II. McCaskill, Taylor
vile; g. j. Hyer. Clinton, K. s. Smith,
Vandalia; VIM. Brown. Jacksonville: W.
Payne, Quincy; VIM. II. Barnes, Jackson
vile; VIM. r. Archer, Pike County
Miles Kehoe, Chicago; T. G, Campbell,
La Sale; L. K. ScrOggins, Logan county I;
s. G. Beam, Mount Pulaski; VIM. III.
Kirkwood, Christian county; John l..
Wright, Barclay; III. j, Miller, Chicago;
Maj. W, p Gallon, Morgan. All these
and others being assembled, according to
immemorial Democratic custom, in a
room much too small for them, and with
no arrangements for reporters, the meet
ing
PROCEEDED TO BUSINESS.
But before reporting what they said, it
is proper to notice that the committee
and the invited attendants avoided one
error which had been feared. All the
morning it was talked of that the morning
session should be held with closed doors,
and the Republicans who were in observa.
ton were greatly pleased with the idea
that they were to be able to report that 8
secret meeting was held and an unlawful
organization formed, But this was avoid
ed, aud the meeting was held with open
doors, and all the reporters and correspon
dents we're invited to be present, 81
much being stated, it Is proper to repor
what they said. The committee having
organized with Mr.. Mccormick in tn,
chair, B. f, Bergen, Of Morgan county
stated the object of the meeting, which
was for the sole object Of
CONSIDERING THE POLITICAL SITUATION
Judge G. Edmunds of Carthage, the
took the floor for set speech, which wa
intensely Democratic. Conservative, an
patriotic, and at times heartily applauded
Said he: I'VE are to consider to- day tn
duty of congress in the matter Of arrivin
at a satisfactory settlement of the import
ant question now agitating the publ
mind. Up to this time, in the history G
our country, it has never made any differ
ence how the vote was counted-whetne
by the president of the senate or by tn
tellers of the two houses. The electors
vote of the states and partial electors
votes have been heretofore thrown out fo
informality, or for good cause, but it wa
when their admission or rejection exercise
no influence on the final result. But nov
it remains to determine what the senat
and its presiding officer, or the two house
shall do. The question to-day is a vita
one. Shall the two houses
SIT AS SILENT SPECTATORS
whileGthe electoral vote is being canvasse
by one man, and announced? If 80, tina
silent acquiescence elects Hayes presiden
bringing about a result which will declar
elected a candidate who has received bt
tween 100000 and 100000 less of tn
popular vote than another-a result whic
will elect a minority candidate, and
violence to the constitutionally expresse
will of a majority of the people of tn
United States. The query then is, whs
shall be done? My object in joining i
the call for this meeting is that we ma
give an expression of opinion on this in
portant subject. and, if needs be, that thi
committee shall provide for the calling
state convention. Upon the final d.
termination of this question now agitatin
the public mind, believe, rests the futuI
of this great republic. If we get ini
brolls in the end, though it may be man
years hence, we will certainly bring up
A LIMITED MONARCHY FOR THE PEoPLl
am to-day in favor of squarely expressiu
our ideas, and then of submitting them
the people Of the state for their indors
ment. | believe we can safely confide
the good sense and conservatism of til
people. We have done SO before. an
have never been disappointed, and b,
lieve in consulting aud trusting and comic
ing in them now, let their judgment ia
where it may. Let us all determine VII
is fairly elected president. and then stan