The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-08-31
Ghf 99ailg, Ar1ga!st,,
Rock ISLAND. 4. .IEL1Non
Living Issues.


II it is any satisfaction to Patterson Judge Bel
ford might admit that he and his friends would have
favored November election had the laws OF Col
oEado provided the necessary reqnaites and by this
Bile time in his speeches. time which could be de-
voted 10 the discussion OF living issues-Iri6uns.
We would like to ask Judge Bedford.
the Tribune, or Chief Justice Ghaffee, one
question in connection with above. The
law of congress requiring the congression-
al election to occur this year on the Tues
day succeeding the first Monday 10 No
vember, having been changed to October
by special enactment IN our behalf: do
the laws of Colorado provide the necos-
sary requisite" for said election in
October, an event that is provided for on
the first Tuesday succeeding the Monday
in November, 1878, 10 the state "aet reg
ulating elections. and repeating all terrific
rial acts upon the subject2" The Tribune
and Judge Bedford. il they regard the Col
orado legislature, the two houses OF con
gress, the president, and Messrs. Teller
and Chaffee as authority upon the subject,
must answer that the October election
for congressman is this year without the
shadow of flaw, because the constitution
vests in congress the power to make or al
ter regulations concerning the times,
places and manner of holding elections for
senators and representatives. The terrific
rial law in regard to elections was in force
by reason of section one of the schedule of
our state constitution, by admission of our
Legislature and by decision of congress, uu-
til repealed March s, 1877. The general
law of congress concerning COMPRESSION al
electious-section twenty-five of revised
statues-was valid during 1875. and effect
ed the application of'the necessary requi-
sites" as effectually as the special law OF
last winter will effect their application Cd
the coming election-day. The Tribune
ought to know this, as a public teacher
We do not expect Senator Chaffee to ad.
NIT the correctness of our position In sc
many words, for this would be rather hu.
initiating confession that he was grossly iE
error in 1876, no matter what eminent To-
cal authority was at that time dragooneG
Into helping him out. As question d
law the November election was, and is. en-
tirely in Patterson favor. The issue r,
manning when this canvass commenced
was an issue of moral obligation, anC
this rested absolutely upon ths
existence of an agreement between Messrs
Bedford and Patterson, or parties au-
thorized to bind them, with reference tC
J. the effect of the election of October 8, 1876
upon the seat in the Forty-ffth-not For
acknowledgements. The argument, wa
utterly wiped out in the first debate a
lCentral, and hence the Tribune does wei
to ask for living issues" in place of tn
T contest issue which the republican plat
form thrust upon the people, in languag
that was meant to insult faithful publ
servant, but which has reacted with mul
: tiplied force upon its mean-motived auth
orr, the representatives of Colorado repub
licanism. If the joint debate has accom-
plished nothing else,it has decided this on
point: That the congressional contest wa
decided, and properly decided, by the For
ltY-ffth congress, and that its intrinsic
into this canvass was an insult to the in
telligence Of our people, and confessio
q that more vital issues could not be dis
] cussed by Colorado republicans wit
advantage to their party. The NEWS wi
!. welcome THE discussion of living issue!
in contradistinction to dead ones, not 9
. lone because this will give Colorado demo
, cracy the position of advantage, but be
cause the proper education OF the mas
SEES, through the press and from th
stump, imperatively demands the chang
F Neither preponderance of bouquets, ne
classical whimperings about matters
= Washington during the coDsummation |
the presidential steal, can effect partic
of good at the present time, and the sool
er these silly nuisances are abated the be
ter for the public IN general. Again we sa
let the canvess turn upon living issues