The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-10-30
THE DEMOCRATIC MASS MEET
ING IN ROCK ISLAND.
Some Notices of the Speeches of Mr.
McRea and Others.

McRea and Others.
1t was not possible for us to give in our
Saturdays paper even synopsis of the
speeches in the afternoon for the reason
that our paper must 60 to press while the
speeches we're yet being made. And our
limited space even now prevents US from
giving as full q synopsis of them as we
would be glad to do. aet
Mr.. McRea, who made the first speech,
was formerly q resident Of North Carolina,
was United States consul to Paris, under
President Pierce's administration; was a
Douglas elector in North Carlina in 1860,
and afterwards brigadier general in the
confederate army. Sinca the war he has
been resident of Memphis, but being
in poor health he has passed the summer
In Evanston, on Lake Michigan, doing
some business as lawyer in Chicago. He
is very deeply interested in the success of
of the Democratic party for the reason that
it will bring peace and prosperity in the
south. But he says that if the Democracy
are beaten the carpet baggers and Repub.
llcan Office holders will keep up the Sec
tional agitation, and keep the people poor
by enormous taxation and theft, and the
result will be that he and thousands more
will be obliged to come north in order to
live.
Mr.. MoRea is a gentlemanly and accom-.
plished speaker and he said nothing which
could offend any right-thinking man. He
commenced by saying that the Democracy
were charged with being afraid to review
their own record. He denied this, and
proceeded to review the record of the
party from the first Democrat (Jefferson)
who wrote the declarati of independence
down 10 the present time-speaking OF
Madison, another Democrat, who was call
cd the father Of the constitution; of Jack
SOD, another Democrat who fought and
won the battle of New Orleans; OF the
Democratic war OF 1912 which gave Us
freedom on the seas; of the Democratic
war with Mexico, which gave us our vasI
possessions on the Pacific coast, and saved
Texas from being an appendage of Mexico
and so on. He spoke of the unfortunate
quarrel IN the Democratic party,iin 1860; oil
his lot being cast among his own people; Of
the result OF the late war az ending forever
the idea OF secession; of the anxiety of the
people throughout the south fer peace anC
fraternal business and social relations; palC
glowing tribute to the valor Of northern
soldiers-said that in the hard fighting i
was sometimes their fortune TO drive oul
soldiers back, but often not; said some.
times We made them run and sometimes
they made us run" and ION the whole
said he I'VE had to do more running thar
they He then spoke Of the free anC
hearty acknowledgement from all brave
southern men of the valor and noblenes,
of northern soldiers generally, and Of the
marked respect the southern people
generally ray to the memory aDC
the graves ofthe dead-of their univer
SCI habit OfdecoratiDg the graves of all alike
and their desire to forget the old secticna
animosiues and all join together in devel
opiuR the resources of our wonderful
country, and in bringing peace and pros.
perity ~ each and every part Of il. Thi.
portion OF his speech melted many heart.
TO tenderness and had wonderfully gooC
effect upon all who heard it,
Mr.. McRea next, in a rich vein of sar
casm and humor, reviewed Bob Ingersol
and his speeches, prelacing his remarks b,
saying that he never met the gentleman
and that he had no unkind feelings TOWARD
him, personally. but that some of his ex
travagaut statements provoked retort
that he who gives blow must expect t.
receive one; tina; he should say nothing il
hNy Of l.
then proceeded ia jolly good bumor to
hguratively speaking, skin Bob and stretcl
his political hide on the fence. The APP
plause was tremendous and continuous
and the roars Of laughter, even from Re
pubicans, were immense. 1t was all i,
good nature, but the witty bits we're inim
liable.
Next, Mr.. McRea reviewed the RECORD
OF the Republican party at length, dwell
ing with particularly upon the extrava
gance and fraud which prevailed in thu
public service, the credit mobilier fraud
in congress, the sale of cadetships, tn
custom house frauds, the carriage anC
warehouse abuses of Leet Il Stocking, tn
frauds in the war and navy departments
the sal" 'i rNttraderships.t whisky an,
revenue ir,uis, the Seneca sandston
frauds 'n, Fsccdtnans bank frauds, til
Jay C""kc sNiude and robbery, the Har
lDgtoD ale l"6i cry, etc, ETC., aud wors
OF all the heritage left the poor parole,
prisoners oI the south--the carpet baggers
who were the scam of creation. aud who
through the deception they practiced upo
the innocent negroes an through the sur
port they get from Washington we're rob
bling the honest people OF the south an
briugiug poverty upon them He paid
glowing compliment TO the northern bus
ness men and farmers and mechanic
and late soldiers Of the Union army VIII
had come among them 70 permanently !,