The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-09-29
HILDEI and HEE0lM.
ADDRESS.
THE UNION
Soldiers and Sailors
REFORM ASSOCIATION

ats EcecutIce COnlnllttce, me |OCtO10lltg
address 10 our former comrades and
brothers az arms, the patriotic Union
soldiers and sailors Of america soho
aoould foster better fraternity and .tcl.
lo,osIip bet,oeen all sections and classes
Of our common country, ,oho detest the
practices Of the party IN pO1oer, and be-
lieve aoith as in the necessity for gen
erdl and thorough reform IN all de-
pdrtn.ents of the goueyNmeRt,-to you
zoe send GREETING.
COMRADES: For a number Of years
past, many good citizens, without regard
to their former political afhnities, have
seriously deprecated and earnestly de-
nounced the persistent and dictatorial
spirit in which Radical leaders have long
been aud are still attempting TO rekindle
the old war feeling Of animosity, and to
make use Of seDli-military organizations
for mere partisan ends; these efforts,
tending to force upon the country the false
impression that Republicans alone fought
the battles ofthe Union cause; that none
Of the soldiers Of that army can now be
expected 10 vote any other than the Rad
ical ticket; that every Union soldier must
still array himself against section Of our
country, and continue to denounce the
people he helped to overcome in a civil
war; people who laid down their arms,
surrendered to superior power, and re
turned to their duty and their allegiance
more than eleven years ago; while no
occasion has been lost, since the war. in
which Grand National Soldiers and
Sailors Conventions and Reunions,
swelled by parades Of the boys in blue, !"
the q. A. r., and other military pOtitic0
associations and leagues, that they have
not been made to subserYe the purposes
of engendering sectional strife and perpe-
tuating Radical Republican misrule.
Longer forbearance OF this policy has
now ceased to be a virtue, 1t has been
firmly determined that duty and honor
alike demand that we call for general
enrolment of all our old comrades who are
sincerely desirious of the public good,
and who, untrammeled by party die
tation, are opposed to the artful revival OF
the old war cries without occasion, and
who see the necessity for the overthrow
of the corrupt party in power and the
preservation Of constitutional government
in the election and triumph of IiIden and
Reform.
At the close Of the war in the year 1866,
the Radical party had reached the sum
nit Of political power, with no check to
its intolerance. save the sUruples OF the
President, and this was insufficient to re-
strain its vindlctiveness. The Congress
offered to the people the 18Th, l4th and
18th Amendments to the Constitution as
the la is Of its reconstruction. These
amendments we're accepted and were
ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths
of the states. The Congressional enact
ments passed to enforce these conditions
were submitted TO, aud acquiesced in, in
good faith. The southern people were
thus restored 10 all their civil rights By
all the forms of law, and it is now but q
mockery aud reputation Of the terms OF
their cont act, at every returning election,
10 threaten them again with the grim
trade Of death, and TO lift still higher the
bleeding testament Of wa.. Bloody in
structions indeed, which will return but
10 plague the inventor.
We appeal to you to take up this work
with Us and assist 10 carrying it forward
20 a successful issue in every State
which sent a regiment Of Union soldier:
20 the war We wish TO see the enroll
ment Of every friend of our cause whC
served in the Union Army, and we urgen
tly recommend the perfection. at the
same time, of such local, congressiona
aud State associations, as shall organize
complete and bring forth to the election
the soldiers and sailors vote, in sole
column, along the whole line, and throug
out the country. Let us show to thos,
now in power our firm convictions of tn,
necessity OF a return to an honest a1C
constitutional administration Of the GOV
eminent by our. independent exercise o
suffrage For this we fought in the bat
ties OF the Union. The preservation q
that Union was a duty paramount to al
others, but the untrammeled exercise o
the citizens right of suffrage is MOI
secondary to it. We should not permi
any consideration Of political advantage
or partisan associations to misead us from
the duty which we owe to the present ext
gency as we'll as to the future welfare Of
the whole country, Let us show by oul
voices and votes that we are still 800 OOC
strong, after all our losses. IN support o
the Constitution we defend, and for re
turn to honest government in the inter
ests of the whole people.
The most encouraging sign of Reform il
to be found in the recent change and oyer
throw of portion of that combination Of
officeholders, at Washington, whose hold
upon power has seemed to defy all at
tempts at resistance or opposition. Al
least four departments have been up.
turned, the most serious irregularities
brought to light by the public demand fol-
reform, and their derelict secretaries
driven forth.
The successful investigations by the
Democratic Committees of Congress. t.
which the Administration was forced a
last to succomb, indicates with certainty
the commencement of moral revolution
in politics that is to be confined to N
section and to no State.
Will you net join heartily in that i'm
perative demand for honest government
that is being rc-echoed from all the land
Each soldier must have observed witt
what flourish and parade has been adver
fised FROM year 20 year. 10y the Radica
Congress. an avowed detcrminaG t,
pass an act to equalize the bouuties Of the
government 10 the Union saldirrs and
sailors Of the late war. Slch bills wer,
presented in plentiful numbers, but moi
10 be passed, " remained tor the Demo
cratic party and the Democratic maj rity
of the Military Committee of the present
House ui Representatives to report auG
pass just, equitable aud efficient bill i
accomplish that tud. The committe,
declared that the government in respect
"uf these bOuntits. Is debtor; anC
while SHE may feIiiy CxSmius into th,
Justice OF particular cases, Yet duty anC
good faith require her opay them, TIL,
government is better able to pay thes,
''just demands, than those entitled there
ITO are To lie out of them"