The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-07-24
The Senatorial Plight.

The Chicago Tribune makes vigorous
protest against the tactics of the republi-
can party in this state as to the senatorial
contest. The Tribune urges that the con-
test in the legislative districts be conduct
ed wholly without reference to the senate
rial question, and insists that candidates for |
the general assembly be nominated by the
republicans without any distinction as to
preference for senatorial candidates.
Says the Tribune.
The republicans of Illinois have already lost one
senator by this practice OF pledging members OF
the general assembly to vote for one candidate 10
the exclusion of eli others. There is danger that
this folly will be repeated this year, and that
sufficient number of republicans will, because OF
jealousies naturally growing out OF this pracnce
be defeated to enable the opposition to elect sen
ator The rule should be to first secure the leg
islature and let the members elect the senator
To try to elect the senator by county conventions
may not prove to be successful.
The warning, reproof and protest of the
Tribune comes too late. For years the
practice of the republican party in this and
10 other states has been to conduct politi-
cal campaigns wholly with view to affect
national politics. In 1872 Dick Oglesby
was nominated for governor with the dis
tinct understanding that if he could pull
the ticket through he should be the candi-
date of the party for United States Sena-
tor. The ticket was pulled through, and
though there was some kicking the bargain
was carried out, and Dick resigned his
position as governor within forty eight
hours after he had delivered his inaugu-
raj. In 1876 Jno. A. Logan got the
bulge" on his competitors in the legislative
convention, and got large majority OF his
friends nominated Cd the republican side.
He also managed to get small squad OF
independent" nominated in the strong
democratic districts, and some OF them were
elected. He and his friends IN the state
and bis supporters at w ashington claim that
the independents were pledged to support
him for the Senate, and the State journal,
the central organ OF the republican party,
!. insisted that it had information justltylng
the assertion that the independents would
vote with the republicans on the senatorla
: election. When the contest came OH, some
republicans and the independents refused
to support Logan, and the action OF thu
independents is spoken of by the support
ers Of the Hayes administration as de
! lection" The nominations made By th'
: republicans of this state for the next leg
islature have been and will be controlled
, by the friends of Gov. Cullum, who is al
avowed candidate for the senate, or b!
those of Logan, who desire to retrieve hi
defeat of two years ago.
AS in this state so in others. 1t was re
Gently given out from Washington that tn
Y administration was arranging to coDduc
the fall campaign in Michigan for the ben
eft of Chandler; in Pennsylvania for tn
, benefit of Cameron, and in NeN
York for Conkliug 1t was also state
r that the federal patronage in Indiana LII
d nois and Connecticut was to be used so a
to secure majority in the legislature, /
: order to promote the interests of the RI
publican party in the senatorial elections
Concluded on next page.l