The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-05-09


to be pretty well agitated here in the
West. 1t is going to be agitated over the
whole country, and will be the political
question for the future The next time
the Democratic party declares for "a tariff
for revenue only" as they will in the next
platform, it will be understood by the peo-
pie, that that is the issue, and as Demo
Gratis advance it squarely, so must the Re
publicans meet it, and on that issue will
the battle be fought. In view Of this,
there is one important question to be ask
ed of all Western men; a question
that must be answered honestly
and intelligently; which answer will be of
every avail in determining the political flu
ture of the West, and through it of the
country.
Are you Republican because you are a
Protectionist or are you a Protectionist
because you are a Republican?
If the first is true, you are where you
belong; stay there; you belong to the par
~ that deserves your support, to
the party that is willing to Iegislate in
your interests. We have no inducements
to offer you; we intend to fight against
your interests and to advance the adverse.
But if the second is true; if you hold
up certain opinions because you belong to
party that upholds these opinions; par
ty YOU Joined for other and better reas-
ons: if you are a protectiOnist, because
twenty years ago there was a commotion
in this land that stirred it to its very
depths, and out of the conflict
and the fire party was born of a ma
tiOns agOny:a party whose then princi-
pies you Endorsed, and whose success you
deemed necessary to the Unions life; if
twenty years ago you joined that party
for those reasons, reasons which are now
dead and passed away, and which every
patriotic American in the North must
thank God that they have passed away;
why do you allow the recollection of those
past times to interfere with your present
interests?
Because you joined the Republican party
when that party advocated your principles,
is that reason for remaining in the party
when it antagonizes your principles? When
the Republican party was born, from the
Nations travail; when wise men advised
it as the means Of saving a Union, dearer
to them than life; when brave men lept
with willing hearts, to offer their lives to
preserve the principles that party advoca-
ted then was it right that you too
should rally to it's support. But that
is now passed. The Republican party of
1860 died with it's leaders; when Lincoln,
Chase, Sumner and Greedy passed away, so
did their party; their unworthy successors
have been trading in their deeds, have been
making political capital out of their
achievements. The party that was formed
to free slaves has changed to a party try
ing to enslave freemen; the party, once
the advocate of downtroden race, is now
the advocate of monopolies and money
kings. 1t once righted a peoples wrong,
it is now seeking to wrong a class. 1t is
advancing the interests of the strong
against the weak; the rich against the
poor Its former leaders sacrificed self
for principle, its present sacrifice principle
for self.
Why, then, does it retain ascendancy? Be
cause there still remains in mems minds a
pleasing memory of the things they once
helped to do; and as they remember the
motives that first actuated them when they
gave their allegiance to the
party, it seems difficult to think
that those same motives do not yet control
their continuance in it, and the party lead
ers do yet harp on those same topics, and
tell to people, who helped save the Nation,
of the deeds they took no part in them
selves.
Protection is detriment to the whole
country; it is direct menace to the pros
pcrity and growth of this section of it; it is
class legislation; it taxes the many to sup
port the few; it is inspired by the class
who buy up legislation; it is only
kept up through misrepresentation and
false arguments; it is favored by only a
few here in the west. And yet they sup
port it. You vast class of consumers!
Merchant, Farmer, Mechanic, Lawyer,
DOCTOR Minister, and above all Laborer.