The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-06-29
Wednesday. June 40 1881

The Union has gone crazy again. The
symptoms have been alarming for some
time, but are now fully developed 1t is
once more out against Porter. 1t is not
often that man is SO greatly compliment
ed as to receive abuse from the JndOn af-
ter a court has declared him innocent and
his fellow citizens have concurred- in the
decision. Nor are prosecuting attorneys
often so heavily handicapped in the dis
charge of their duties by having a paper,
out of pure malignity; persist in condemn
ing a man after they have got
through with him, thus preju-
dicing their case against others. There is
little use in this connection of referring to
the principles of paper that viii consent
to attempt to blacken the character of a
man after he has successfully stood the
test of a severe trial; nor noticing the
mallgnity that would pursue man after
it knew him innocent. 1t really is too bad
on the Union; the decision in this case was
a severe blow to that marvellous combina-
ton of ignorance and conceit. 1t had
staked its entire reputation for influence in
the community on the issue, and while it
did not risk much, it lost all it had.
It's idea seemed to be something as fol
lows: Sam Porter is probably innocent,
but we have stated that he is not conse-
quently, he must be convicted to satisfy us
nothing else can establish again our bro
ken down reputation
But alas for the Union the facts were
against them, and Porter was cleared.
The outcome does not please the Union
but does most everyone else. In all the city
of Rock Island, outside of the Union Office
there are not ten people but will tell you
they are glad. The Un5on's forms of abuse
are limited, when it wants to attack a
newspaper it calls it ring organ" and
seeks to cover the ARGUS with all the pub
lie contempt which it fondly imagines is too
oyerwhelm the paper that it speaks OF in
that connection. Oh! that the man
could be found to drive some
sense into the Una0n's head,
that the teacher lived, so strong in his pro
fession that he could instil into the Union
the first principles Of honesty ond fairness.
Oh! that the Union was not a fool Its
mental capabilities are so limited; it prin
ciples of honesty so infnitesimal, that it
cannot conceive Of a paper stating that a
man was innocent merely because he was
innocent, or of taking up his cause
merely because justice and
right demanded it. 1t looks for some more
ulterion motive that justice and cannot
conceive of honesty as a reason for any
thing 1t cannot perceive the difference
between prosecution and persecution. The
Union bounded Porter because it's masters
bid it so, and now continues to and will
do SO until its masters whistle it off The
ARGUS was silent at the time of the
indictment, it was silent during
all the time of the trial
1t argued that the case is in competent
hands and Porter is being tried on his
merits as the law provides, but when that
trial is over and Mr.. Porter is declared
innocent, we say as does every honest fair
minded man in Rock Island that he is |
entitled to the full benefit of that vindica- |
ton and no person or paper has the right
to take it away from him.