The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-10-19

generously conflded to my keeping by
democratic votes in 1877, requires me to
sustain the existing organization of the
senate, for which [ disclaim all response
bility Parts of it are neither agreeable to
my tastes nor to my judgement do not
refer to the formation of committees. In
giving this vote it is proper to say, what
ever may be the result that I can accept
no honor at the hands of either side. A
new administration is starting out under
Exceptional circumstances. The states
were numerically divided at the presiden-
tial election. A few thousand votes sep
terated the two principal candidates in
poll exceeding nine millions Both bran
ches of Congress are almost balanced.
The country Graves respite from any dis
cord, and, most of all, it needs rest from
sectional strife. The voice of patriotism
demands peace and fraternal fellowship,
north and SOUTH east and west. Every
good citizen should desire the success of
the administration, for we all ought to have
a common interest in the glory and in the
greatness of the republic. Measures in
tended to advance either shall have my
cordial support. The president and his
cabinet are entitled to fair hearing, and
to be judged impartially by their acts. If
they fail to Justify the public confidence, is
/ will be misfortune which has overtaken
other administrations having equally good
intentions and prospects.
| 1t follows from what | have said that
shall vote for the formation of all the COM
mittees as reported by the senator from
| Ohio, except the committee on the Judi
ciary. | wish to retain my old place on
that committee, and profoundly thankful
to my democratic friends for the distin-
guished honor of being placed at the head
of that committee, ! must decline that posi-
ton
The speech was delivered March 10th
1881 and it must be dream but the i'm
preston is fixed in our minds that but the
other,day, Senator Davis did accept an
honor at the hands of the republican party.
1t seems hard to believe that this is true
but the facts seem to point that way. BY
his own vote he aided the republican party
in comforting on him the presidency of
the senate. Some few people who be
lieved in David Davis; having in mind his
utterance of last March, where he said:
Il can accept no honor at the hands of
either side, stated that he would not be a
traitor to that utterance, but it seems they
were mistaken. He has accepted an hon.
or at the hands of the republican party
and yet 1t was only last fail that he an
nounced his opposition to that party in
these words:
II have no hesitation in supporting Gener-
"al Hancock" he wrote, because his
"election will put an end to sectional strife
'and to sectional parties, and win revive a
patriotic sentiment all over the land
(which political leaders and factions for
sinister ends have sought to prevent"
His record still further is in accord with
the party at whose hands he has accepted
an honor. That party through the aid of
its fraudulent President, Mr.. Hayes of
Fremont Ohio, insisted on its right to
keep troops and deputy marshals at the
pools. In regard to this means of secur-
ing elections, Mr.. Davis said:
Elections ought to be exempt from any
menacing force, and to be free from the
contamination of corrupt returning boards |
No party deserves confidence that seeks
ascendancy by striking down honest suff- |
rage either by the use of troops, by fraud
or by intimidation.
But David Davis has accepted an honor
at the hands of the republican party. Let
us search stil further and see if somewhere |
we cannot discover some one thing wherein |
he is in accord with that party; some one
point on which he can unite with them. |
Protection is one of the principal planks in |
the party platform, what has David Davis |
to say of that ? His last expressed opin ion |
on the subject reads like this:
"The existing tariff is regarded as a con- |
fused mass of incongr uities and monopo-
lies, created by special legislation and open
to constant fraud on the revenue. II taxes |
the consumer heavily on those articles |
that are most needed by the toll |
ing masses. 1t taxes every newspaper, |
every school-book every Bible and the salt |
of the workingman with gross injustice, |
because the poor pretense of the revenue |
does not exist to cover the wrong. A re |
vision therefore, which shall be at once |
searching and fair, is demanded and should /
be promptly and efficiently made"
Add to this Mr.. Davis declaration in /
the senate, March Is, 1890, that the time |
had come when the mass of incongruities |
and huge monopoiies commonly called |
tariff should be reviewed and adapted to |
the spirit of a progressive age" His opin-
accepted an honor was fully expressed in |
fs80-just one year ago-when he said:
Twenty years of domination by the ?
republicans chronic abuses have become I
fastened upon the public service" and I
"that nothing short of the sternest remedy I
"gives any promise of effective reform, and /
ttthe first step towards it is change OF /
rulers"
The senate was organized by the election
of Mr.. Bayard, of Delaware, president pro /
tenn, q man well qualified, both. mentally /
and morally, for the position. This exist
ing organization was overthrown by the
aid of the votes of the republicans, Ma
hone and David Davis, for the purpose of
putting the last named gentleman in the
chair. And yet in the speech first quoted
Davis says:
AN honorable recognition of the trust
generously confided to my keeping by
democratic votes in 1877 requires me to
sustain the existing organization of the
senate. Whatever may be the result, i
AN except no honor at the hands of either