The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-09-25

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discussion of public affairs and the pre-
sentation of their party views, aims and
objects.
We have never objected to the organiza-
ton of 'workingmen's party" on the
ground that it bad no right to exist; We
make no objection to the nominations for
office which they have just made on the |
score of its being unlawful-sHch action is
precisely in accordance with party usage,
but the expediency of forming party at
all, the wisdom and justice of its aims and
demands, and its illiberal and exclusive |
modes of management, are, each and all,
fair subjects of criticism, and are open to
the most searching investigation as we'll as
the most thorough aud adverse discussion. |
The exact point is this, that while THE |
ARGUS has no hostility to the party
simply because the labor movement has
eliminated in the formation of a working
mems party, and while it has no wish or in
tention to make any abusive attacks upon
the personal character of their nominees,
it has the undoubted right and is perfectly
consistent in its exposure of the falacy of
| It's pretended aims, and in its denunciation
| of the denagogues who have so managed
their party s affairs as to utterly belle their
| prOfessed objects, and have stulti6ed them |
selves to the public by solemnly resolving |
their utter disregard of all other parties |
and then Immediately nominating ticket |
selected exclusively from men hitherto |
known only as strict party republicans. |
We make no attacks upon the party as
such, we say nothing against the
personal character of their nominees, but
we do allege that the honest wOrkingmen
who have been drawn into this movement
under the delusiyc idea that they were
about to be freed from all political
Shackles, aud could put to rout and disor-
der all politicians and parties but their
own. haye been deceived and misled by
their pretended friends and leaders, and
at the outset have been degraded from
their high position of non partisans,
decoyed from their former friends, and put
in training to become the tail end of fac
ton, which. when the right time shall
come. proposes to dictate terms Of surren-
der to the Republican party. The action
of last Saturdays meeting ought to be
sufficient to convince intelligent working
men of the force and truthfulness of this
observation. Already, one of the prime
movers, OriginatOrs, and general managers
of the movement has secretly declared, as
We are informed, his intention to have the
party so well indoctrinated and trained,
that at the next congressional election he
can bring the entire vote Of the working
mems party to the support of whoever
may be the nominee of the republicans.
No doubt 1t is the intention of the same
artful managers to do the like favor for
others, and their success In augmenting
the republican party 10 that manner they
probably suppose will increase the value
of their personal services, and bring to
themselves pr0pOrtionate reward. Mr..
Bufum, the nominee for county judge, is
personally resDec table gentleman, an in
telligent farmer, wealthy citizen, but is
in no way u representative OF the labOring
men in the narrow and exclusive sense
upon which the party rests its fun
damental idea. In the face of a.
resolution to discard and avoid all pro-
fessed politicians and office seekers, how
inconsistent is the nomination of one who
has SO often sought public position as Mr..
Buffum. who is now an Office holder, who
has long been an aspirant for seat in the
state legislature-and whose record as
hitherto STRICT party republican is unim
peached and unimpeachable. 1t looks
very much as if the managers of the
workingmen's party designed to make
their organization merely a preparatory
course to initiate novices into the repuhli- !
can fold, and that they are afraid to trust
the management of their party, or bestuw
favors upon any, except the secret and Sc
lect few or such as they may from time to
time pick out to honor with their secret in
| tentions and resolves Let it be perfectly
understood that we make no objection to
any citizen going to the polls and voting
for whomsoever he may please, We are not
opposed to the existence of workingmen's
party,or any honest efforts on their part to
obtain their just and legitimate rights,
whatever they may be; we are not censur-
ing the motives or the intentions of the
honest labOrer in making an effort to have
his voice and wishes potential in the halls
of legislation or his intelligence known and
respected in the discharge of executive and
official duties, but we do. protest, and shall
ever oppose with all our might the
Vaccinations Of the treacherous leaders
who are attempting to lure on and lead
democratic voters into sn organization
which even thus early is being used as a
recruiting post for the republican party.
Printing and binding executed neat
quick and cheap at The ARGUs OFFOE.