The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-12-23
The 9aiIg Arsus,
Rock ISLAND.
MAKE NO MISTAKE.

The democratic party of the state and
OF the nation has come out of the cam
paign of 1878 shorn of its strength iusf IN
proportion to the degree in which it's mem
Der have listened to the Establishments OF
OF the greenback Delilah. A united on
position IN Illinois would have carried the
state for the democracy by $4,000 votes !:
elected three or p' rhaps four more demo-
cratic congressman; ensured us the cleo
ton OF senator to succeed Roaring Dick.
and the control OF the redistrictiug of the
state by the next general assembly. With
all these advantages in full view, with the
i Iaef apparent to every man who could fg
tre IN simple arithmetic that the state
w.Ss 10 the grasp of the democracy, some
of the democratic leaders thought, or pre-
tended to think, that it was wise to make
conces eioEs TO the greenback idea as re-
| presented by the national party, which
could lmperll the success Of the democra-
cy. The fact was apparent before the
election. not only the to democrats but to re-
publicans, and was acted on by the latter
| with success. The national movement in
Madison and st. Clair counties and In the
18th congressional district was arranged
by the republican Office holders of the Iii
nols state house IN consultation with re-
publican leaders from various parts of the
state, and was supported by contributions Of
| money direct from the headquarters of the
repU blican state central committee, The
trick lost US one congressman and the con-
troll of the legislature, while operations in
other parts OF the state lost us the election
| of the state ticket.
The most disgusting fact connected with
this disgraceful and needless defeat is that
democrats all over the state played into
| the hands of the political enemy. Every
"greenbacko speech by democratic ora
tor was received with shrieks of frantic ap-
plause by republicans, who perceived
that every such speech tended to assist
| and strengthen the national movement.
| devised for the defeat of the democracy.
| Every 'greenback" article in any demo-
cratic paper was reprinted by the post
office papers and given the widest possible
circulation, in pursuance of intructions
from the republican headquarters. The
silly attempt to outbid in absurdity the
folly OF the fat money fools resulted, as
was inevitable, in the defeat of the demo-
cratic party
And, even now, there are men who pro.
pose that the democrats of the gen eral
assembly shall unite with the nationals of
that body, or, at least, should send a flag
OF truce to the hostile camp 1t seems in
credible that anybody should propose such
stupendous folly, but such is the fact never
theless. With the facts of the late campaign
fresh IN memory, with the result of that
campaign plainly 10 view, the proposal to
do anything else than to take such action as
to free the democracy from all connection,
real or imaginary, with the greenback idea
or national party is plainly lnadmissable.
Let democrats make no mistake. The on
~ way to win back the stragglers is to as
sail and destroy the heresy which has in
dueed them to leave the democratic party,
State Register.