The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-10-05
She 9ailg Areas,
EocK Is1AnD. .rnn1norg
The Two-Edged Sword.
IN. Y. SUM-


course effect the majority 10 the nex
| House of Representatives, and NAV neorl,
determine the control, both the old parties
are on the anxious seat as to the extent q
the vote to be cast by the new element
Generally speaking, the greenbackers
nationals and workingmen's Organization
stand nearer to the Democrats, and car
more readily affiliate with them than with
the republicans, though there are localities
10 which they have united with the latter
lt may be said, however, that the outsiders
/ by whatever name they may be knoWn,
are most damaging to the party 10 power
in any State, simply because the detection
that may occur to either is most likely tc
come from tie majority in numbers and &c
be Joined by the majority, as the green.
hackers were in Maine. This policy il
| likely to be repeated in Iowa, which gave
the republicans sixty thousand majority
in 1879, aud has heretofore hardly been
shaken by the passing storms, aud which
even the tidal wave of 1874 did not reach,
The republicans of that State are now ST.
riously alarmed. There are niue congress.
sional districts. all Of which. in ordinary
times would give them assured maiorities
ranging from over eleven thousand down
to thirteen hundred Senator Kirkwood
anticipates q loss of four members, and
this, if realized, would shake the founda-
tons 10 Iowa as badly as they were shat
tesed at the other end Of the line in Maine.
! When the republican leaders admit the
probability of such break up in the con-
gressional delegation. their internal con
ditioB must indeed be bad, if not desper-
| ate, With Maine IN the east and Iowa in
the west torn up by detection, what would
even the strongest faith have to cling to?
The Democrats are good deal troubled
about Eve congressional districts in Ohio in
which they will probably have decided
majority tor the state ticket Following
| the example OF the republicans when in
power, they reapHortiOned the state last
winter, so as to insure themselves, accord
| ing to the best political reckoning, twelve
of the twenty members of the House with
chance for fourteen. These changes led
to sharp rivalry for the nominations, and
In several instances bad candidates were
put forward. ln the Toledo district, where
MIR Hurd is the nominee, there is an open
bolt. headed by his defeated rival, which
may elect republican, In the Columbus
| district, Converse is assailed sharply bv
DUH
through 10 the end. In the seventeenth
district Wiley is imperilled by lukewarm.
ness, or worse; and injured by the Thieves
ry OF the former democratic county treas
urer of Stark. LIE FeVre, with a demo
cratic majority of four thousand in his dis
trIct, is likely to be beaten by greenback
combination, and because be was one of
Tom SCOTS lobbyists: and Warner, who
should succeed Charles Foster, is in dan
ger.
Nest of the Republican districts were
loaded with large msjorities, so that but
one or perhaps two give any cause for anx-
letg to that side. The chances, therefore.
OF gains on the basis of the new apportion-
ment are with the Republicans, ii the fears
OF the Democrats are we'll founded. But
on the popular vote, and for the state can
dldates, there IS hardly any doubt but the
Republicans will be laid out cold. and with
little hope OF resurrection. In the present
House the Republicans have twelve mem
bers, and the Democrats eight.
ln Indiana, the outlook for the Demo
Gratis IS better than for the Republicans,
both ID the direct trial of strength aud the
indirect contest in which the Greenbackers
will figure. The strength of the third party
Is pretty we'll ascertained in Indiana, and
its organization and influence in different
counties are known with more exactness
than in any other western state. By a
shameful gerrymapder the Republicans
have nine out of thirteen members of the
house. ard they have been able to hold
the legislature in the same way against a
popular majority of over 5000 for the dem
ocrats, Ut the present nine republican
districts, tie net majority in the Fourth
was GIT. and in the Sixth 276. The Fifth.
Seventh, Eigth, Tenth, and Eleventh had
maj0rltles ranging from 1000 to ! 500. and
the Thirteenth had 2,2l8. The Ninth, in
which Y enezuelan Orth is candidate. had
plurality of Liza, but with the indie
pendent vote added the republicans were
in minority of 1856.
1t will be seen from these figures that if
the greenbackers draw any strength from
the republicans, or combine with the DEM
Gratis, IN seven or eight OF these districts.
the probability is that the democrats will
elect majority OF the congressional dele
cation, without counting the prospect of
Holman beating Browne in the fifth with
out any outside aid. The legislature is
more doubtful, and the greenbackers have
fair chance OF holding the balance OF
power. This would be much better if some
of their leaders had not sold out heretofore
and especially in 1876, when Harrington
was forced into the field for the governor
ship as tender to the republican candi-
date.
As between the Democrats and the Re-
publlcans, the current runs strong against
the latter this year, which of course is Of
importance to the former, and practically
gains them thousands of doubtful votes
But all the energy and the enthusiasm Of
the compaRn are on the side of the new
movement, and the very fact that its posi-
tive strength is IN unknown quality is ar
element of attraction. Its numbers may be
exaggerated, but the zeal of the converts
stimulated by the hard times, is an exampl,
worthy of better cause.
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| Benefactofs.