The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-02-06
Thursday. February 6. 1879.
The Democratic Position .


municipal elections in the city. The
communication favored the nomination of
a citizens ticket, to be composed Of the
best men Of either party, and supported
by the all voters who favored honest city
government. Mighty in its righteous
wrath, the Democrat leaps to its feet and
cries "fusion-fusion-cu off the ears OF
the man who proposes fusion" The
ARGUS did not and does not propose
fusion with any party, but the hack Of the
Peoria Democrat seems incapable Of un-
Outstanding the difference between citi-
zen ticket, supported by the reputable
class OF citizens, aud fusion of parties to
elect party candidates.
THE ARGUS has always taken the
ground that fusion with any party is
impossible, but more especially a fusion
between the Democracy and the National
party, as the National party is at present
constituted, and as advocated by the Demo
crat. That paper claims that the Nation
al-Greenback Labor-Reforn-I Independent
party are the natural allies of the Dem
ocrats, and urges combination whereby
the two parties shall unite and elect their
chosen candidates. Has the biggest
fool in Illinois forgotten the fact that,the
National party of to day is but the out
growth, the fungus of the Independent
party of six years ago; and that the birth
of the Independent party was attended
by Republican physicians; that it was fed
on Republican pap; educated in Republi-
can schools, and its board bills paid by
Republican money! Has he forgotten
that this child was born, reared, strength
ened simply that it might detract, by its
very feebleness, from the Democratic ranks,
and thus weaken the party 10 this state so
that the Republicans might gain the
ascendency? The idea of fusion of tho
Democrats and the Nationals, as a party
organization, is preposterous-it is impos-
sible. The hard money, Jacksonian Dem
ocracy could no more be made to affiliate
with the rag-baby demagoguery Of the
Nationalist, than oil with water. Nay,
more-not only is it impossible to form
fusion with the Nationallsts, as a party, but
it is equally impossible that fusion should
be brought about between the Democrats
and any existing party. The Democracy
is willing u receive within its ranks re-
cruits from any and oil political sources,
bat 1t can never consent to a fusion
with any minority that sets at defiance the
true principles Of Democracy. The
last election in this state gave conclusive
evidence that the Republican party was
thirty thousand short of an equality, aud,
had the full Democratic vote been polled,
had the disaffection not existed within its
ranks consequent upon apparent conces-
sions 10 its platform to the Nationalists, we
would have had clear majority over the
Republicans, and would have stood on
record, as we in fact, the most prominent
party in the politics of the state.
Holding a clear majority in congress for
the past two years, the Democ-
racy has placed itself on record
before the country as a party that
Is OF the people and with the people, and
it stands to-day as the most popular party
in the country. Every day brings more
clearly the knowledge that the Democracy
has returned to power; that the popular
voice expresses confidence 10 the party Of
the people; and shall we now, just as the
dawn of returning power is breaking
violate all our past record by surren
deriug principles to a party whose every
principle is Numerically opposed to ours I
We have no quarrel with the men, the
honest men of the National party, but we
do quarrel with the spirit of demagoguery
that animates its leaders. and we strongly
object to any political connection with the
party, as party, that manifests such
suicidal principles as those laid down il
the Nationals platform. That the
Democratic party has been so long subject
TO defeat is to be attributed, in great part
TO the ignorance and lack of generalsbiE
displayed by such would be leaders as he
Of Peoria, and it is 'consummatior
devoutly to be wished" that they might bc
dubbed and kicked and cuffed. anC
driven from the party as marplots auC
enemies" as Peoria Dowdall suggests.
Let US not mar. by any untoward party
action, the favor we have received at tht
hands Of the people, but by strict adher
ence to the principles of the party show
our appreciation of the trust reposed 10 ul
by the country; then, although we were
cheated out of the presidential election
last past, we can confidently await the
struggle in 1880, strong in our desire fol
the right, strong in our trust in the people
and we will not be doomed again to disap.
polntment, nor made the victims of fraud
and trickery under the Aimsy guise OF
legal forms.
-
The Union Of this morning has an arti-
Gle purportlug to show the advantages tC
be gained by reorganization Of the city
under the General Incorporation Act, but
1t makes an'uniortunate admission in con