The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-04-04
A MODERN SOLONy
He halls from Maine, and
has an Idea.
Greenbacks are his pride and
the Government prop.
An Interview with a Representative
Fiatist.

quite .prominently.in the last Presidential
campaign of the Pine Tree state by boltins
the fusion plan there adoptsd--was 10 thi'
city Saturday. He is on his return home
from Missouri, ,where be has been engaged
in spreading the Greenback theories BY
taking att asnumbsr Of different meetings
hsld 10 that commonwealth during the
past mouth.
Duringf This sojcurn.at the Harper HOUSE
Mr. Chase was visited by representative
Of the ARGUS who subjected him to few
Iintsrrogatories on the hopes and aims oil
! the fat party. Mr.. Chase is an enthusiast
/ ia the cause which he has espoused. and
lis no doubt an honest believer in the prin|
ciulss which he:advocates. which is not tbs
general sruleI with those who would lead
and run the new party. The majority oil
them are actuated solely by mercenary
purposes! and have no more belief in the
prattle which they write er'talk than the
hardest hard money banker.
HIS APPEARANCE.
MIR. Chasei,iss man who has psst his
] s0th birthday. fact which is apparent By
the scanty hair covering bis head and by
the unenviable wrinkles which time brings
to the faces of men who have resehsd the
lneighborhood of three score without the
ten. He is evidently a wellto-do farmer
and his manner, dress aud whole appear
anoe would all suggest that he was not ac-
customed to city life. but preferred the
quiet blessings known to agricultural
existence.
His conversation has just enough of the
down east way" to indicate his locality. il
be were "a youth to fortune and to fame
unknown" The newspaper representa-
tive having fessted his eyes on the timer
ant Greenbacker from Maine. made an
effort to secure
MR. GHAsE's OPINIONS
on current affairs, as seen from within the
lines of that party, with the following
result:
do think that the Greenbackers viii
keep up their organic stion2" repeated Mr.
Chase after the scribe had PROFOUND ed
that question. well, | have no hesitation
In stating that they will. That party i.
tae only one that will introduce live issues
into the national campaign, and until il
becomes national the old party fights vii
be conducted on old prejudices. The
north-that is the Republican part of it
traducing the fair name of the south. anc
/ az u. 81 Al hrz H.
north. Why" said Mr. Chase who wa.
warming up to the subject. to-day in thu
east the fight is solely one of prejudice
Neither the Democrats nor Republican,
ever make convert from the other party
and it remains forI a new party to draw
from both of them. That's what W,
intend to d." chuckled Mr.. Chase whit
appreciated the good point which he haG
made.
DISGUISED WITH REPUBLICANS.
! There are" continued Mr.. Chase, ANY
number of men in the Republican party
who are Disguised with the rings that con
troll that organization in every state and il
the United States They hate the Demo
Gratis so intensely that they would no
come over to that party and so they stick
The Democrats are Disguised because they
are In minority, bat still they have /.
natural dread of the Republicans. They
keep on voting that ticket rather thar
assist their political enemies. / speal
more particularly of Name. as | know
what am talking about
CONVERTS.
From what part do you receive th,
most converts?'
That depends" said Mr.. Chase. 'sol
tho sparty having the natural majority il
she state. We always draw more from shi
opposition than from the dominant party
Now, in Maine. we draw largely from tn.
Democrats. although we took good man,
from the Republicans. / was Republi
can myself until 1875. when [ read Phi
Iron" KelIy's speech on initiation. Ireat
and studied il. believing that imitation wa
q bad thing. aud that / could 50 prove
ct least as / could not show where 1t
fallacy existed. II struck me that perhaI
i was wrong and Kelly was right, From
that day to this have been Grrenback
er. and have converted more Republicans
to the new faith than any one man il
Maine. Now, in Missouri. the majority o
Greenbaekers were Republicans. I
strikes me that the Republicans are smart
er than the Democrats. for whenever the!
sre in the minority they will join any new
party that springs up, but the Democrat
are slow to take such action"
Mr.. Chase, though not stating it in sc
many words. conveyed the idea that ths
Republican party was actuated solely BY
public Office and the spoils of victory
while the Democrats. although defeated
are held together by principle.
OUTLOOK IN MISSOURI.
How cid you find things 10 Missouri p
/ First rate; couldn't be bettefl Why
do you knew that we Greenbackers are
going to show the Republicans in Maine
that we can beat them there, and we are
also going to prove that our power is de-
Heating the Democrats 10 Missouri
| The newspaper man laughed behind bis