The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-07-31

statesman and pure patriot, but a pru
dent, painstaking, practical man OF un
questioned honesty; trusted often will
= important public duties. faithful to every
trust. and in the full meridian of ripe anC
vigorous manhood. He is in my judg
ment .eminently fitted for the highes
Office on earth, the Presidency of the
United States. Not only is he the righ
man for the place. but the time has come
) when the best interest of the country re.
quire that the party which has monopoliz
ed the executive department of the gener.
al government for the last twenty years
should be retired, The continuance oi
/ that party in power four years longer
would not be beneficial to the public or in
| accordance with the spirit of our Republi.
can institutions. The laws Of entail have
not been favored in our system of govern
ment. The perpetuation of property or
place in one family or set of men has
never encouraged is this country, and the
great aud good man who formed our Re-
publican government and its traditions
wisely limited the Etenure of Office and in
many ways showed their dissaprovsl OF
long leases. Twenty years of continuous
power is long enough and has already
led to irregularities and corruptions which
are not liable to be properly exposed
under the same party that prepetrated
| them. Beside, it should not be forgotten
that the last four years of power held by
! that party were procured by discreditable
means and held in defiance of the wishes
of the majority of the people. 1t was a
grievous wrong to every voter and to our
system of self government which
should never be forgotten or forgiven.
Many of the men now in Office were put
there because of corrupt partisan services
| in thus defeating the fairly and legally
expressed will of the majority and the
hypocrisy Of the professions Of that party
| In favor Of civil service reform, which was
shown by placing such men in Office and
| turning the whole brood of Federal Office
holders loose to influence the elections.
The money of the people taken out of the
public treasury by these men for services
often poorly performed or not performed
at all. is being used in vast sums. with
the knowledge and presumed sanction of
the administration to control the elections,
and even the members of the cabinet are
strolling about the country making parti-
san speeches instead of being in their
departments at Washington discharging
the public duties for which they are paid
by the people. But with all their clever
ness and ability a discriminating public
will no doubt read between the lines of
their speeches that their paramount hope
| and aim is to keep themselves or their
satellites four years longer in Office. The
perpetuating power of chronic Federal
Office holders for four years longer will not
benefit the millions of men and women
who hold no office, but earn their daily
| bread by honest industry, is what the
same discerning public will no doubt
fully understand, as they will also that
is IF thasr ,.,Ir !
economy of Gods bountiful harvest that
the country is comparatively prosperous
aud not because of anything done by those
federal Office holders. The country is COM
paratively prosperous not because of them
but in spite of them. This contest is in
fact between the people endeavoring to
regain the political power which rightfully
belongs to them and to restore the pure
simple, economical, constitutional govern
mept of our fathers on the one side. and a
hundred thousand Federal Office holders
and their hackers. hampered with place
and power and determined to retain them
at all hazards, on the other. Hence the
constant assumption of new and dangerous
powers by the general government under
the rule of the Republican party in the
effort to build up what they could call a
strong government: interfere with home
in the courts of the several states; the
interference with the elections through the
medium of paid partisan Federal Office
holders interested in keeping their party
IN power, and not caring for that fairness in
elections. In fact the constant encroach-
ments which have been made by that party
upon the clearly reserved rights of the
people and the states will if not checked
subvert the liberties of the people. and
government of limited powers created By
the fathers aud end in a great
consolidated contracted government,
strong indeed for evil and the
overthrow of Republican institutions,
The wise men who framed our constitution
knew the evils of stong government and
the long continuance of political power in
the same hands. They knew there was
tendency in this direction in all government
and consequent danger to Republican
institutions from this cause, and took
pains to guard against it. The machinery
of strong. centralized general govern
ment can be used 20 perpetuate the same
set of men in power from term to term
until it ceases to be a republic. or as such
only in name, aud the tendency of the
party DOW in power in that direction, as
shown in various ways, besides the will
linguess recently manifested by large
mum mber of that party to elect President
an Unlimited number of terms. is quite
apparent, aud must satisfy thinking peo-
pie that the time has come when ii will be
safest and best for that party to be re-
tired. But in resisting the epcroachments
of the general government upon the re-
served rights OF the reopie and the states,
| wish TO be distinctly understood SIS iav
ORIG the proper exercise Dy the genera!
government ofthe power rightfuliy belong
iug to It under the constitution.
Epcroachmepts upon the constitutional
rights OF the general government or in
terfererce with the proper exercise of
it's power. must be carefully avoided.
The union of the states under the copsti-
tuition. must be maintained. and il is
well known that this has always been
the position of both the candidates, on the
Democratic Presidential ticket. 1t is ac-
uuiesed in everywhere now and finally
and forever settled as one OF the iresults
of the war. 1t is certain beyond all ques-
ton that the legitimate results OF the war
for the Union will not be overthrown or
or impaired should the Democratic ticket
be elected 10 that event proper pro-
lection will be given to every citizen,
native en- adopted. IN everyIsectiou of the
republic in the enjoyment OF all his rights
guaranteed by the constitution and its
amendments. A sound currency of hon
est money of a value and purchasing
mower eorrespondiDg substantially with the