The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-11-01
Ghe 9ailg Argas.
ROCK ISLAND.
Why Republicans Fight Despe ateIy

st. Louis Republican.
/ nepuDiicans are making a desperate
ngnt; the most desperate. probably In the
history OF American politics. And they
nave the very besto reason for so doing
They have great deal to fight for. In
the hrst place, public patronage and
pluuder Tor the next four years, Nearly
one hundred thousand Republicans are
feeding at the public crib and want to
stay there. Each one of these feeders
mas on an average, six relatives and
| iriends wno are directly or Indirectly ln-
| sarested In his staying there, and work
and vote with him for his sake and their
own. Every Republican politician. large
or little has interests which must suffer
severely. it they are not ruined, by the
defeat OF the party. With a Democratic
administration the Republican politician
would have nothing to buy his tools, and
without his tools he would speedily become
nobody. So this class of Republican
patriots are giving freely of time. labor
and money to maintain the power upon
which their power depends: strainiug
every nerve of purse and person to pro-
| teet their base of supplies, But per haps
| the most effective provocation TO the desper
ate hight is the knowledge, which every
Republican has, that Democratic
victory means a thorough over
hauling of the Republican record Tor the
last twenty years. Plague, pegtilence and
| famine would. in their estimation. be pref
cradle to this, just as long as there is a |
Republican administration, just SO long
will the world be without true and full |
history of Republicanism. The world |
ENJOYS great deal about it now, but moth |
ing compared Esth ghst would be known |
II the books were taken away from the |
/ tn
the hands of Democratic experts. The |
exposure which must inevitably follow |
Democratic success 10 a national election |
would sink the Republican party out of
sight forever. Ia short. that success
would not only extinguish the resources OF
the army of the Republican ofice-hold-
ers and politicians, but break I'd the or
ganlZatlon which has so long fed and
clothed them at the expense OF the people.
Not merely Republican resources, but
Republican existence, depends upon a
Republican victory.
The wonder is. then, not that the Re-
pubhcans are fighting 80 desperately, but
that anybody should suspect them of honor
end honesty in it. Not only have they
forced the campaign upon false issues:
not only have they abused and vilifed the
people OF an entire section of the alleged
Union without the smallest excuse there
for; not only have they slandered and
iDst.ltad the spctless soldier and statesman {
who carries the Democratic flag, bat they
have resorted to intimidation of the mean q
est kind, and poured out money like water 8
for purposes of corruption. Their leaders
boast that Indiana. a Democratic state, I
was deliberately and system atcaiy bought =
by the pertv which expects 10 get its Q
money back In the epoiis that victory will .
bring. Millions were spent 10 that single
state, and the political Decentralization
thereby produced is worse evil than
would be the invasion OF foreign foe
Democrats ere eontendine against tre-
mendous odds, and if not discouraged i'll
it is because the consciousness OF right
sustaiDs them in the battle with the
wrong. and because the principles of Y
which they are the champions are inter- n
woven with the very life OF the republic. y