The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-11-02
which the peOplecOntributed over 81, oOo,-

which the people contributed over 81, oOO,-
600.
His prestige as the WAR governor"
placed him at the head Of the list or candi-
dates for the United States senate, to which
he was elected in 1866, and he took his
seat March 4, 1867. He seems never to
have realized, during his active career in
the senate, that the war was over; that he
was not still engaged in suppressing treason
and enllsting volunteers; and the hypothesis
upon which bis public conduct rested ap-
peared to be that keeping on fighting the
south would make him president of the
United States as it had made him governor
OF Indiana. he was the author, il there
was an exclusive author, Of the policy of
the Bloody Shirt" Under that standard,
he hoped to become president, under it he
constantly rallied the veterans of the war,
and by Haunting it in the face Of the south,
he nourished sectional discord for the ap-
parent purpose Of maintaining solid
north" party to send him to the white
house. He could not see that the signs of
the times were signs of peace. His ambi-
ton clouded his vision while it never per-
mitted his energy to lessen. He reeoguIz-
ed no loyalty but loyalty to party. He ap-
preciated no patriotism but that which
bore bis own spoils mark. He piled brands
on the sectional feud to warm his own poll
teal chances, and on the prolonged dlvis-
ion and misery of his country, he was will
iug to mount to the highest place. He
held as tenaciously as his early democratic
tutors, the doctrine ito the victors
belong the 'spoils" and the offices Of his
state were distributed for the express pur-
pose of maintaining partisan esprit de
corps in his own interest As he created
comprehension in Indiana ia order to put
it down, go his Imagination bodied forth
the "Ku Klux" which he waeed war upon
with the Bloody Shirt" An extremist
in everything he was never willing to
acquiesce 10 moderate measures. and ruled
bis conduct by the one gauge OF his aspira.
ton to the presidency.
, His only effort 10 the direction of purely
constitutional politics was his recent pro-
position for sixteenth amendment radi-
cally altering:the manner of eleeting pTesi
dents. His ideas about the national fnan-
ces were not clear, coherent, or consistent.
In 1866, he wanted the national debt paid
10 greenbacks. He voted for initiation in
IA and for resumption 10 rs, and then be-
came rampant hard money man. He
ridiculed the sham of ciyil-seryice reform.
he had the honesty to avow that machine
was an essential in party management, and
/, although he yielded reluctant assent to
President Hayes paclfcatory policy toward
the south, as he would assent to any ac-
complished fact which he had no power to
change,-he never expressed any approval
of executive order No. l,-being therein
more consistent than Mr.. Hayes What
position he would have taken had he re-
turned to the senate, it is vain to speculate.
He would, doubtless, have maintained
friendly relations with Mr.. Hayes for his
own interest, without becoming the cham
pion Of any of the reforms to which the
, president is particularly pledged. He viii
be missed for a time from the petty wran
giles of the national legislature. His vir
tues, for brief moment, will be exapgerat.
ed; his vices glazed And in few short
months. after the grave has closed upon
him, the country will have hidden him
"a long farewell"