The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-02-21
Higher Motives---Devotion to Princi-
ples"s

Higher Motives---Devotion TO Princi-
PIES"
THE conductors of THE ARGUS are
utterly unable to appreciate the higher
motives and devotion to principles which
may be found in other journals. Union.
Higher motives and devotion to princi.
pies in the Union! Great Heavens, who
would have thought it! Here we have
been reading the. Union during all the
management of Col. Barnes, Capt. Haver-
stick aud Brigadier General Seven
Years" and never once mistrusted such
things as higher motives and devotion to
principles" How very stupid! AS the
Union says there mag be such a thing as
higher motives, in bowling and ranting
against citizens ticket one day and en-
dorsing a citizens candidate the next, but
if we fail to see il, we trust that journal
so deUoted to principles, and aetuated by
such high motives, will forgive us. tSurely
the great intellects that furnish the re-
publican party with ideas and moulds its
policy to their liking, can be magnanlmous
when we say that we have long desired to
sit, like the members of the republican
party, at their feet. and receive the crumbs
of wisdom that fall from their editorial
table-to catch the flashes of wit that bub-
Bile I'D from the beer added depths of
:heir editorial BRAIN If we have failed
to catch the inspiration Of devotion to
principles and the higher motives eVlnced
by these Journals that have so perslstently
supported the suspension OF the HabeaS cor
q2us Act in 1876; that so valiently came
TO the rescue ofshoddy- clothing and cotton
blanket contractors in 1868; that upheld
the administration in the doing, and ap-
plauded the act that gave Mrs. Surratt
to a felonious death IN 1865; that
could find nothing to condemn but
much to applaud 10 the Freedmau's Bank
steal; that gloried in the superior business
ability shown by Robson in stealing and
selling the vessels that composed the
United States Navy; that found DO flaw
in the character Of the Belknaps and
Babcocks that composed the Whisky Ring;
that smiled in approval, aye and smiled
audibly, when the Credit-Mobilier-little-
book of-Ames, gave such damning proof
of the guilt Of every Republican in the
two houses of Congress-; that affords dis
honest approval of the dishonest acts that
characterized the administration of the
Indian Bureau under the Secretaryship Of
Zach Chandler; that raised its voice aloud
in praise Of the brilliant craftsmanship
evidenced by Bc!knap in disposng Of the
Post-trAderships to the highest bidder and
coDsignipg the receipts to his privy purse;
that laughed long and uproari0usly in APP
proval of the Emma Mioe steal of their
Minister-to the Court-ocSt- James-P Poker
Schenek; that admired the facility with
which the present taking president Grant
ed offices to his sisters and his cousins
and his aunts,' and provided fat places for
every relative, known and unknown, and
for every stranger who gave him bull
dog or a bottle of whisky; that eloried in
the possession by its party of such fear
fully, wonderfully aud sublimely construct
ed specimens Of the genus liar as
Jim Anderson. Agnes Jenks, ST
Martin and Jim Redpath; that
gave voice as one paper, and such a
paper, when Grantism assumed control of
the popular voice and sent its blue clad
armed emissaries to guard(N the polls
and prevent an honest vote, and shout
ed aloud for glory when the returns show
ed that no democratic votes had been cast;
that sang q song of victory and danced all
hands-rouDd when the grandest steal OF
all was consummated and the sublime
embodiment OF fraud was declared Pres.
ident of the Republic; that gave unquali'
| fed approval to the many land grab-rail
ToRd-subsidies that were engineered
through Congress; that have, with
unaminity, found favor in the eyes OF tht
powers that be, for all the political anC
official thieves that comprise the majority
of the party of high moral ideas. Deeply
10 fault are we, and with humble mien anG
most object obeiSance do we implore par.
don, if we have erred 10 failing to fnd any
devotion to principles, Except the principle
Of steal all you can and keep all you get, J
or any higher motives, unless it may be
| the motives" that actuated Beiknap and
Robeson who found they could get DC
higher" 10 office that have actuated the
men Of whom Horace Greeley spoke as
the little souls whom Providence, toI
some incrutable purpose, permits to edit
the majority of our Republican journals. y
Give Us u rest" cried hootback from
the gallery OF our Opera House. to party
| IN the audience who had been coughing
| during the greater part of the performance.
Use DR.. Bulls Cough Syrup shouted
another urchin. ( Each
rhe Turner's masquerade on Saturday
night promises to be the best affair of the
kind held in gears Tickets only so cents;
music by Bleuer's orchestra.
The Masquerade.
Tomorrow evening the grand masquer
AIDE ball by the Turner Society occurs at
Turner Hall, this city. The sale of tickets
has been large, and 1t is expected that the