The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-04-11
Stupid Ruge Proves to be not Only
Stupid but Untruthful.

A low fellow, named Ruge, who keeps
whisky shop in Milan, seems to be large
ly engaged in the business of insulting
Democrats, fact made known in pre-
vious item in this paper. And now comes
to the front volunteer defender of stu
pid Ruge and writes long lot of trash to
the Union, beginning by stating that he is
a volunteer aid of stupid Ruge in what is
really designing effort to injure the new
German paper published here. At the
bottom of the article Ruge says he has
seen" it and indorses it. He may have
seen" it. but he couldn't read it.
Mr.. Winter, editor and proprietor of the
Nae Volks-Zeitung, triumphantly answers
huge and his volunteer slanderer, in the
Union, where the ISLANDERS first appeared,
and he has requested us to republish his
letter, which we would do had we the
space to spare. There are only two or
three points in Ruge's volunteers
piece deserving attention. He says
Mr.. Winter was first introduced to him
about September 1875, soliciting aid to
start has paper. Mr.. Winters reply is
that he never saw Ruge until Sunday,
Sept. Goth, while his paper aoaS started
several eUeehS before that time. This fact
alone shows that no confidence can be
placed in any statement Of Ruge or his
Rep" volunteer.
The only point really worth replying to
is made by Rep Ruge'' as follows:
Sometime in the early part Of September, 1876,
this man again called upon Mr.. Ruge This time
he accompanied by person who represented
himself to be u newspaper man from Iowa. y
They were Boosting to Mr.. Ruge of their getting
up before audience in lows and publicly justi-
flying the assassination of our martyr president,
Abraham Lincoln. The Iowan made this state
ment and when Mr.. Ruge resented 1t Mr.. Winter
justified his companions assertion.
The stupidity of "Rsp-Ruge' in saying
'they were Boosting Of their getting up
before an audience IN Ioa0a," &C., &c.,
brands the whole thing as lie as far as
Mr.. Winter is concernrd-and Mr., Win.
ter publicly brands itas lie and says
My companion did not approve Of 0,
sag that he intended to .juStity the dSSGS
''SinatiOn Of abraham Lincoln, nor dad j
| ',juStjty such an assertion. The gentle
man referred to lCol, Richmann. of Tams
| county, Iowa. meyer uttered the afro
''cious words maiiciously attributed to hin
by Ruge All he said was that 'pOlitica
| feeling had so quoted doloH, eUe,s n
''Iol0a, that anybody might go to the
extreme of justifyiDg Lincoln's assassina
ton without risk of being lynched on the
spot AS any thinking man will see
this is far from even attempting tt
Justify LIncoln's assassination, and is only
an opinion on what would happen if auy
body would try to publicly justify it
Although the conversation was of a char
'acter to admit of no doubt, with any san
man, as to its meaning. Col Richmanl
having mentioned thai. he also was in tn
union army and an admirer of Lincoln
yet Ruge stupidity mistook his meaning
being possibly the worse for liquor, anC
, got excited about it, when Mr.. Richmanr
explained it to him again. There was II
{ "indignity offered or submitted to, n
driving out as Ruge falsely says in hi
Communication.
Mr.. Winter closes his we'll writte
article by saying, L now denounce tn
communication of Rep as tissue of lie
and ISLANDERS"
The stupidity, ignorance and part,
bigotry of this fellow Ruge has place
, him in a very bad light before the publ,
!. and he should learn that when he can NJ
e comprehend the meaning Of words, an
, when he is unable to take part in the il
= teIigent conversation of gentlemen b
t should keep his mouth shut and keep O
= drawing his beer The effort to create s
e prejudice against Mr.. Winter and thu
IS aid in breaking down and destroying II
German newspaper is clearly seen by oil
: Germanborn citizens and we much mi
5 take their temper and spirit if the yillai
e Gus effort against Mr.. Winter does not r
e suit in a more warm and hearty supper
re of the German newspaper,