The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-20
entlon Of Gen. Schenck in London after

tentIon OF Gen. Schenck in London after
80 forbearing friend as the secretary of
state admitted that he had done things In
consistent with his position as minister,
have sorely tired the faith and patience of
many of the stanchest Republicans in the
country. These are all matters of recent
notoriety, and it is not necessary to recall
others which are not forgotten. They do
not affect personal honesty, but they imply
the want of certain qualities which are In
dispensable 10 president.
The sordid crime of a member of the
cabinet has served to confirm popular
suspicious which were most unwillingly
entertained. No newspaper can give any
reader any information in regard to the
results of the exposure upon the public
mind They have been most dishearten-
ing. 1t is not an individual offense. 1t
not only affects an administration and a
and the principle of popular government:
Every American shares the reproach, and
the indignation will logically and properly
turn toward those who under our system
must be held responsible. Every intelli-
gent Republican knows this. But FORUM
ately he knows also that we are very
practical people, and that we seldom sue
rifice substance to shadow. or surren
der theory. Instead of saying at once
that the Republican party is corrupt, and
that therefore the Democrats must be
sustained, every sensible man sees that
the matter is not quite so simple. He
asks himself. whether this very event will
not put the party under the control of a
different class of leaders, which is all that
the country requires. For there is nc
doubt that the principles of the Republi.
can party, as they are generally under
stood, are acceptable to the patriotic aud
intelligent majority, and that there is at
equally general distrust and dread of g
Democratic restoration. The carLina
necessity of the hour, therefore, is to con
vince the country that Republican ascend
ency is to be maintained by men whose
names and characters are the earnest anc
the influences which have degraded anc
imperiled the party that have vigorously
discarded. The vital point in the Repub
lican campaign and in the national conven
ton will not be what is said, but what il
done. Fine professions of reform, with
candidates who are themselves constituent
} parts OF the thing to be reformed, will no
carry the country. Would the convention
declare for honesty, economy, and purit,
of administration. aud then nominate Gen
Babcock, or Gov Shepherd, or Gen
Schenck, or Gen. Butler? Certainly not
ct the reasons which would forbid sucl
nominations are equally conclusive agains
that of any candidate who has been tn
defender and abetter of such Republicans
and who is of the same school of politica
| morality.
There is deep and general dread O
Democratic success in the election of thi
year, but there is an equal indignation
with the corruption that has been deve
oped under Republican ausrices An
: that indignation will defeat the party
the party cannot prove by its nomination
that those who have controlled, control u
longer. If it could he known that th1 in
] f1uences which have ruled were to continu
[ to rule at the White House, the Republ;
can party would be already defeated
Safety lies in breaking with the recent pas
absolutely and utterly. We have bee
sometimes classed with the grumblers
But Is it those of us who have grumtleC
who have insisted that good policv-if n
more required the favoring of men Xix
: r. H. Dana. jr., and Judge Taft, and nc
} of such as Shepherd, who have harme
the party, or those who have acquiesced i
everything. and vehemently ana vocifel
; ously hattered and defended every gros
E and startling error of the administration
The issue in the election of this year
immense and vital. Let not New Yer
fatally mistake the situation. If her r
publican delegation goes to Cincinna
pledged without discretion to the suppo
Of her brilliant senator. it will go pledge
to the fortune of the cleverest and mo
unshrinking courtier Of the administratit
under which the Republican party hi
been well nigh ruined