The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-06-21

adherents of Conkling and Platt 1t is
true that they are supporting man who
represents anything but patriotic politics,
man who works for self alone, and who
seeks the Office for the sake of Office, and
not for the good Of the country, n man
who has used his official power merely to
perpetuate Office and give Office and
employment to his political adherents; but
on the other hand while supporting all this
and nothing more, while only having in
view the health of the machine and looking
to no higher principles, while contending
only for the vindication of Conkling and
the humiliation of the administration
neverless in that fight they are opposing
a class of men more dangerous in American
politics than themselves.
Machine politics is bad enough, but
legislation in favor of corporate monop-
olies is worse. The prominent half breed
candidate, and the one on whom
all the strength of the half
breed vote is being centered, is
Depew. He is a railroad lawyer, the too
of Vanderbilt; man who has spent all of
his life and what talent he possesses in the
service and under the pay of railroad mon
opolies His whole life has been spent in
their service; his mental and moral educa
He is Vanderbilt's man; Vanderbilts man
just as Maud S. is Vanderbilt's horse,
bought by his money, owned and CONTROL
ed by his millions. The effect which men
like Vanderbilt, Gould and Scott have had
on our legislatures is marked. The way in
which their influence has been acquired is
notorious. They have done more to pros
titute our political honor and lower our
national pride than any machine politician
ever did.
They have offered inducements to public
men more enticing and more powerful than
any mere politician ever offered.
They hesitated at nothing to accomplish
their ends; no moral scruples ever stood in
the path of their desires. Their appeals
have never been to the head or the heart;
they never offered wise reasons for this
course or patriotic ones for that; the only
organ they ever attacked was the pocket,
their only reasons golden ones. Money!
1t was their ever ready argument; and alas
for our legislators honor, nearly always
successful. With that argument in their
hands, they accomplished their ends, plac-
ing price on a legislator or judge as
they would on horse; looking on it as an
investment, good or bad. as they made
fair profit or not. This is the kind of man
who is backing Depew: man who has in
his possessions millions, which were &C
quired to some extent, by direct or indi-
rect bribing of legislative assemblies.
The charge is made that money is being
u sed to elect Depew-a charge that is well
sustained and which is more than probable
If elected Depew is still Vanderbilts tool,
elected for thatfpurpose, if not he would
never be supported. 1t seems strange that
the Republican party has come that point
that it must choose between machine pol
itician and a monopolist, a man who
brides with patronage, or man who brides
with money. That in all the great state
of New York it can only find two men it
thinks worthy of the Senatorship, the
boss" or the henchman; the man who rep
resents none or the man who represents
only one man and his interests