The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-02-20
Ghe 9aiIg Arsns,


Grants Acceptance and Program me
St Louis Republican.
The Buffalo Express is a melodious
Grant organ. hut is evidently afraid its
music may be wasted:
That Gen. Grant will be nominated is
almost beyond doubt. But, that much
apparently settled. the grave question
remains. will he accept? 1t all depends
upon how the nomination goes to him.
Friends very near to the general say he
will not take it unless it seems to repre-
sent an almost unanimous sentiment 10 the
party. Certainly he will not take any, the
slightest, part in the preliminary strug-
gle."
The Express apparently has not seen
the following paragraph in the New I ork
Times.
The Times has been able to announce
on usquestionabie authority, that ten.
Grant is ready TO accept the nomination OF
the convention should he be the choice OF
majority of the Republicans there assem-
bled,"
There has never been any more doubt
about Grants acceptance OF the coveted
honor in any way he could get it. than OF
the willingness of duck to enter the
water The authoritative announcement
Va eo0 iCauiuk DtpupIlCaA JooA 10. VA
country is simply official confirmation OF a
certainty.
We are, however. indebted to ex-Gov.
Smith of New Hampshire for the best
revelation thus far of the true inwardness
OF the third term movement. That gen
tleman says:
Il am for Grant because believe he is
the only man who can be seated We are
going 10 elect our nominee, whoever Ii
may be, but the Democrats will count him
out unless they are afraid of him, Grant
ID the only man in the United States they
are afraid of. They know that he could
call halt million of men around him by
raising his little finger. IF we don't elect
Grant not one of us will live to see another
Republican president in the White
House.
In other words, Grant is to be nominated
because 'she can cali half million of men
around him by raising his little finger.
The question naturally arises, what are
these halt million men going to do? The
answer. in our opinion, is this: They are
to seat Grant if his party says he is
elected, whether he has been elected or
not. Such plot may seem incredible.
Is it any more incredible than was the re-
turning board plot until the latter was
Ii. III 1910.
somebody had suggested that the Republi-
can nominee for the presidency would be
thrust into the executive chair as Mr..
Hayes was, would anybody have believed
it? Is the performance which ex-Gor.
Smith foreshadows more astonishing than
the election of president of the United
States by two white and two black rogues
in Louisiana? Bayonets are bad sub
stitute for the balIot-box, but not so bad
as were Wells. Anderson. Casanave and
Kenner. Observe the concluding sen
tence in Smiths remarks: IF we don't
elect Grant not one of us will live to see
another Republican president in the W bite
House." That party has come to regard
the national administration as its private
and considers any attempt at
transfer as personal insult, threatening
a deprivation of proprietary rights Con
ssquently the ''stalwart" wing wants a
who is known to be upscrupu-
lous, and who if he has shadow of claim
to the office will maintain it ty force if
necessary The returning board trick can
not be played again; the soldier trick has
yet to be tried