The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-11-02
SOUTHERN POLITICAL INrELLIaENcE.


SOUTHERN POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.
Spirited as the campaign Is in nearly all
the southern states, the result of the cleo
| ton is doubtful in so few districts that the
contests excite little more than local in
/ terest. The campaign which areuses the
most important LEGAL interest is the state
| CAMPAIGN in tennessee. 1t is probable
/ that General Bate, the repudiators' eandi-
date for governor, will be elected; but there
| is good reason to hope for the election of
a debt paying majority of members in the
next legislature. Whatever the result may
be, the debt paying democratic faction, by
| their manly struggle for the settlement of
the debt viii save the democratic party
| from responsibility for population The
next democratic congress and the whole
party in 1884 win have reason to thank
| the Fussel democrats in Tennessee for their
/ stubborn behavior during this irritating
struggle. There is an amusing campaign
| disgusting as it is) in one of the congress
sional districts in Tennessee the Houk
district. There are nearly twice as many
| republican as democratic voters in the dis
| trict, and, although there are two republi-
! can candidates, the democratic candidate
| has little hope of election. The notorious
! Houk is one of the republican candidates
and his republican competitor is circulat-
| ing fac-simile of Houk's receipt given to
| Washington policeman last winter for
| the money and valuables that the police
| man retained while Houk was locked in the
Standardization drunkenness. Such is re-
| publican harmony and such also is the re-
publican congressional material in Tenes-
see
In Florida, too. the character and repu-
| tation of the republican congressional can
\ al Ho.l hat k1,e-.a Ike
doubt of the election of democrats from
both districts In the First district the
two republican candidates will so divide
the vote as to make Mr.. Davidson's (dem.
election sure In the Second district Mr..
Bisbee (rep) has thrownsaw the chance
he might have taken advantage of. He
has caused the removal Of the postmaster
and of the collector at Jacksonville-7both
men who were popular and efficient OFF,
GERS. The new postmaster is, from any
point of view, q disgrace TO the civil ser
vice. Mr.. Bisbee has steadily become I'M
popular, too, because he does not live in
the state. Technically he is resident of
Florida, but his property is elsewhere, and
his family do not live there. The people
feel that he is not identified in any way
with them. Mr.. Bisbee is finding out that
the carpet=bagger, however rich and respect
able, is not tavorite character in southern
politics z
1T seems probable that Mr. Emory
Epeer's eccen tricities will amuse only his
rural neighbors next year instead of the
republican audience that has been applaud
ing him at Washington. He has repub-
lican opponent who will receive at least
900 of the votes that were cast for Mr..
SReer at the last election, and it is very
probable that Mr.. Chandler, the regular
demoeratie candidate, win be elected In
Georgia the question of prime importance
now is, Who win succeed the late Senator
Hill? Although number of gentlemen
have been proposed and the discussion is
animated, there seems little doubt that
Governor Colquitt will he elected On the
first ballot.
The congressional campaign in no other
is so exciting rs in Virginia. Malone can
not elect seven congressman as he has
promised to do, bnt there is danger of his
eIecting four or FIVE Indeed, politics in
Virginia are in such chaotic state that
me predictions can be made with conf
dence. 1t is as sad as it is true that Ma
hone has caused such a general demoraliz-
alton that the contest has become, without
regard TO other principles or facts. fight
for and against The great tboss." Neither
in PENNSYLVANIA nor in New Hampshire
81 even IN New York has there been such
a styrapHous aboss" as the Senator from
Virginia. In no other state has the federal
patronage been so shamefully and exten-
sively prostituted nor have such onerous
political assessments been made. 1t is said
that the boss" controls every appointment
in the state except the appointment of the
keepers of cemeteries, and he even made
an effort to induce Secretary Lincoln to
remove an anti Mahone sexton. Every
office holder in the state was forced to pay
five per cent. of his salary before the cleo
4 on was held in Ohio; and since then Ma
hone has areceixed@ $25, 900 from Hub
bell. The removal of postmaster
has for several months been an
almost daily occurrence, and not a few
only but the most of the new postmasters
are persons who sare not only inefficient
but whoa also personality offensive to
their neighbors. Several women who were
dependent for their living on their sa lar1es
as postmistresses have been removed. But
the most astonishing misuse of power that
has been made even in Virginia, was made
last week by Governor Cameron. Judge
George w. Ward. Jr., Of Abingdon. was
requested by the governor to resign from
the board of visitors of one of the state
educational institutions-an Office without
compensation, we believe-because he was
no longer political friend" of the Ma
hone governor.
Nearly all the more influential southern
journals are insisting with vehemenee upon
the election of an anti protective tariff
speaker of the Forty-eighth congress. The