The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-28
OH Daily Argns.
tContinued from second page. ,


been largely affected by the attitude of
our friends in those states, no rationa
mind can fail to see that such an issue
would defeat us.
1t is plain, from this brief statement of
the situation, that our success depends
upon our ability to reinstate the issue of
reform as the issue of the canvass; and it
is equally plain that this is not done BY
resolution, but by such action as will not only
proclaim it, but will of itself verify it as
the issue to all men.
The nomination of Tilden will of itself
force this issue and make the election turn
upon it. The friends of other candidates
object to the nomination of citizen of
New York and claim the nomination for
the west But Jackson was not selected
because he was a citizen of Tennessee, or
Jefferson because he was citizen Of Vir-
GINA, or Grant because he was for short
time in Illinois. Selection on such ground
has no political significance, and ignores
altogether the only consideration upon
which a candidate ought to be selected,
viz: as the representative of the idea
sought to be advanced. My preference for
Tilden is only because his nomination would
of itself force Oh the issue OF reform, which
is our sure card in the pending canvass.
do not doubt that the other gentlemen
spoken of would prove vigorous reformers,
and | have no personal preference for
Tilden over any one of them; but
neither Of them is SO identified with
Reform in the public mind as Til
den. They have either not had the
opportunity, or nave not availed them
| ,oIyao of;. =, ,,o,;cact Tho roeol,4o ,o,r
pose he has shown to purge the state Of
fraud and jobblng. They have not joined
hands with political adversaries to over
throw and arraign and convict as criminals
| the master spirits Of their own rarity whilst
in the control OF its organization, and have
rot by such conduct been lifted into power
by the support Of large bodies of political
opponents, even against a Republican
whose integrity was not questioned, but
who had not manifested the same zeal iu
the cause of reform. Nor have they after
reaching power so signalized their admins
tration by an unsparing war on jobbery
| By this course Tilden has made himself
more than any other man of our day, The
Representative man of the idea to which
the Democratic party so emphatically
| pledged Itself in 1872, and his nomination
would be accepted, not only by the Liberia
Republicans who then acted with us, bu
by thousands who then held back, as
sure guarantee that the pledge would b,
faithfully redeemed; and his war record
and his financial views would effectuail,
prevent diversion by false issues
i The active enmity which Tilden ha
provoked in his own party serves only t.
attest his fitness for the occasion. N
man ever drove more men out of the Dem
ocratic party than jackson; but no ma,
ever recruited it so rapidly from the true
men in the ranks Of his opponents at tn,
same time. And this vitalizing process
must be renewed. The curse of the Demo
cratic party has been its Tweeds. TIL,
strength Of It's opponents who use tn,
government f1r class ACKNOWLEDGEMENT i
derived from vast expenditl re by corrupt
ing the people in one form or anothe
with their owe money, and by mis- eadiny
them with false issues. But Old Bullion
never said anything more true than tina
the Democratic party, to be strong, mus
be clean
: Tilden is the type Of the men who wer
honored by tie party in the days Of it
strength; and his nomination being a sur
bond for return to their policy, will in
; sure its return to power.
Il Your truly. MONTGOMERY BLAIR.
.. Samuel NJ. Shaw, Editor Freemdns JON
II nal, Coorerstown, n. Y.