The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-04-18
an extension of the time of national bank

an extension of the time of national bank
charters.
Do you want "to secure free ballot and
a fair count?" Both of these the democra-
tic party is pledged to secure.
Are you anxious to bring corporations
under control of the law and secure free
dom from monopoly? This the democratic
party has been fighting for these. many
years.
All of these is what your leader and poll
teal godfather has stated are the funda-
mental principles of the national party,
all of these you also find in the democrat
ic. Now look at the folly of your course
Let the democratic party be successful and
you can hope for the success of your prin-
ciples. So long as the republican is you
never can. Now do you truly desire the
success of these principles? If so, why
not vote for the party that guarantees
them? So long as your organization con
tinues you are hurting the success of the
principles you wish to further; you are
keeping in power the republican party,
from whom you will never get what you
want Every vote cast for national can
didate means a vote for republican, for
by that vote you keep democrat from be-
ing elected; it means a vote for a repub
lican, vote directly against your own prin
ciples
Take our new congressional district.
The republicans in that district at the last
Presidential election, had only a majority
of three hundred and sixty-seven over all.
Now if you nationals would JOIN the dem
ocratic party and vote for democrat, a
man, mind you, who advocates the same
principles that You say you do, he could be
| elected and your interests so much further
ed but if you continue in your
| old course and vote for your own candi-
date, he will be utterly defeated, and a re-
publican, man opposed to your ,prin-
ciples, elected. That is the entire logic of
the situation, and it is incumbent upon you
to see to it what you de.
The gist of the matter is extremely sim
ple If you care for justice and right, if
you want the best principles of government
to succeed; if you have any regard for
public honesty and the proper conduct of
affairs, then unite with the democrats and
see to it that they are secured.
1t is no use of being led astray by the
talk that you should not support the dem
ocratic party because it has deserted its
old principles. 1t has not deserted them,
and is still strong in its stand of political
and public honesty; in it's claim of person
al freedom, of combating Capitalization
and of unfolding the rights of the weak.
Why should you have deserted it? The
democratic party had not been in power
for ten years before your party was form
ed and it would have been better for you
to have aided it, the party that possesses
the same principles that you do, to power,
and thus tested the honesty of its profess
sions, rather than flying off into party
hopeless of success, and thus killing the
present hope of your principles.
II is not too late for you to repent and
to return to the party where you belong.
Would it not be far better for you to aid
to success the democratic party, and see
if you cannot get thus the relief you want?
Should you fail in that, then it would be
time to talk about new party; as it is,
you have not fairly tried the old
Nationals, think of all these things.