The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-01-12
"Sunser" Cox Replies to Blaine and
Riddles His Armor with
Sarcastic Rhetoric.

ed Mr.. Cox, who coveted the perilous hon ,
or of the reply, Burdened with file of
Congressional Globes bound in bulky vol
ume, and haring armful of papers,
that small man made a bolt from his seat
toward the center of the house, changed
his mind, hesitated, turned again, amid
the rising jeers of the Republicans and the
suppressed murmurs of his own side, and
finally landed in seat hastily vacated for
him immediately behind Randall, the high
est point among the Democratic benches.
He began in an uncertain, rambling strain,
with his voice pitched up among the nasal
uncertainties, aud excited for few min
utes merely languid contempt from the
Republican side, which was busy in con-
graduating Blaine, and hostile lncredu-
lily from the Democrats who demanded
and expected Randall, For time there
was an uncertainty whether 1t was the Or
lex or Hamlet of the house that had taken
up the gauntlet flung down by Blaine. He
seemed to feel the ooZing out OF the inter-
est and was conscious of the danger of loos-
ing his opportunity, His wandering and
incoherence suddenly ceased. He lent his
efforts to the ludicrous aspect of Blaine's
astounding revival of the horrors OF war
and in a few moments the scowliDg faces,
hostile glances, nervous clutching of hands,
and rigid bodies relaxed into convulsive
merriment, every stroke of which scored
the ludicrous side Of Blaines broadside |
1t was not so much the coherent argu- |
ment or logical reasoning process which |
Cox depended upon to undo the thoroughly
apparent mischievous results of Mr..
Blaine's unwise effort, Cox depending rath-
er upon series of droll differences and
waggish contradictions in point OF fact,
and the utter disproval of many of the
main features which Mr.. Blaine had
charged upon the Democratic party, 1t
was whimsical witty, brilliant cogent
repartee, and served the purpose OF its
author to perfection. 1t dispelled some of the
growing gall and dissipated to some extent
the internal bitterness which Mr.. Baine's
ill.advsed utterances were calculated to
engender. Passing from kindly eulO
GUM of Mr.. Blaine as man of humanity
and fair dealing, Cox declared that the
house would not have been astonished to
have heard a speech so inhumanly hostile
to brotherhood and reconciliation from the
vitrolic lips of Butler, but. that from
Blaine the house and country had right
to expect better things. He could only
account for this unexpected change of
character on the part of the ex-speaker by
taking into view peculiar necessity which
compelled him. against his more humane
instincts, to take up the tail of the bloody
shirt which Morton is flourishing in the
senate. Then contrasting this with
Blaine's boast that the Republican party
was the embodiment of generosity and
magnanimity Cox traversed the carpet
bag record of the last seven years, forced
legislation. military usurpation, Louisiana
-, RI
that Blaines point was wrong. Then turn
ing facetiously to the Democratic ranks,
he cried with mock uneasness, Down on
your knees, men who have come from the
south Down on your knees to his majesty
from Maine, who has permitted you 10
vote and become as other men are. In
contrast to Blaines double dealing 10 mag
nanimity and vindictiveness, he revived
the benignaut utterance of Thad Stevens,
who, on a similar occasion. declered that
all men south of Mason and DIxon's line
should be thrust into the penitentiary o.
hell. There were some moments wheI
the speaker warmed up into absolute elo
quence, carrying the impassioned sympa
thy of the house until, falling into jocosity
he brought down derisiOn ard ridicule up
on his predecessor. Blaine Stopping
moment 10 his mad career, he was remind
ed of biblical illustration which would il
lustrate things more felicitiously than hi
own periods. He tripped down to hi
desk, brought out bible, and read tn
l26th psalm. reminding Blaine, at tn
same tune, that the last occasion this 81
cred writ had been called into pla
was when Judge Woodland recommends
it to the benignaut Butler in one of hi
Fl cry, untamed moods. Cox read til
psalm and the house cheered vOciferously
The big book and harDg manuscript whic
Cox had laden himself with were neg
used. With these he traced the who
history of amnesty, showing by the recor
that Blaine, in the committee where tt
bill was first introduced in 1870, had tavo
ed universal amnesty,
"When?" said Blaine, springing to h
feet excitedly, and pointing his finger il
peratively at Cox.
Il will tell you when in the prop
time" responded Sunset, with aggrayatil
ease.
''But | want to know now" said Blain
peremptorily.
Cox stopped, twirled his eye-glasse
looked the ex speaker calmly in the ey
and said. well, will tell you, and
tod him, here giving the date and circuI
stances, and succeeding in showing Il
house that Mr.. Blaine had countenanct
universal amnesty from his own side of Il
house, but denied it to the Democrats.
Blaine explained that being in the cha
he could NOT object to the unanimO
introduction of the bill from the commit
of which he was chairman, but he h;
requested q member to make an objectio
1t was the impression of the hous
however, that the ex-speaker was not Gle
on the record, and by general consent G.
was admitted to have entirely pierced h
armor and destroyed the effect of his speec
rs that, said Mr.. Cox. maliciously, ha
ing impaled his adversary on the point
this dilemma, THE craftsmanship tn
aspires to the presidency" to the uproa
Gus amusement of the house. He
minds me-" said Sunset, rehectively, sol
small darby who hoped to get the bett
of mule by climbing his tail, to whom
father gave comfort when the mules hee
had done their worst, by saying that
was not so handsome, but that he h
learned something" Whereupon Blai
wanted to know whether Cox played t
part of the mule
The speech was full of personal poll
of this sort, Blaine being worste in eve
sally. In conclusion, Cox, amid the vel
ment urgings Of his colleagues to go {
with mock gravity conided to the hon
the cause of Mr., Biaine's astonishi
change of base. He aspired to the pre-