The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-08-11
A DAY OF RECKONING.

| when democratic newspapers charge
| republicans with profiigacy and waste OF
| the peoples money, the charge is invaria-
| bly, denied-that- there is no truth in their
statements. But here is good republican
| authority paper that is not given to ex-
| posing the faults or deficiencies of its par
| ty, and would not now if the steal was not
so positively outrageous that il cannot
with any show of .decency speak other
wise of it. The paperito which we allude
is the Chicago journal, and the following
editorial is from its issue of the Sth in
slant:
The congressman who voted for the
scandalous river and harbor bill in the
first instance, and to carry it over the
presidents veto in the second place. will
| find themselves mistaken if they think the
people generally do not look upon it with
disapprobation. Even the senators who
were absent from their posts fof duty are
being hauled over the Goals for not being
present to record their votes against the
inieuity Thus the New York Erengaag
Mail and ErpresS remarks that the great
state of New York had no senator pres
lent for duty in defense of her presidents
noble veto of her vast interests in honest
'tand economical government of the consti
"tution-which was openly and wantonly
slaughtered in both houses-and of the
national credit.
The 1Has1 is not a ''Stalwart" organ. but
ardently supported both Miller and Lap
ham against Conkling and Plat, and its
complaints in this instance are not in
spired by personal hostility. 1t is to the
credit of New York that the President had
the courage to veto the abominable BILL
and that many of her Representatives
voted against it, but it is to her discredit
that both her Senators We're absent when
The final struggle came.
In those districts where large amounts
of money will be distributed under the bill,
no matter whether the alleged streams and
harbors are of any substantial service to
navigation, or susceptible of ever being
made so, the members viii have no diff
Guilty in explaining their votes to the salts
faction of their constituents. But there
are good many sections where the peoples
moral vision has not been blurred by an
appropriation. In some of these certain
Congressman will be likely to get left"
1t has been with pride and qualification
that we have pointed to the votes of the
two Illinois Senators to defeat the bill in
sense and patriotici veto of the President
in his effort to protect the Treasury of the
people. If Senators Logan and Davis had
been actuated by the mercenary motives
which controlled some of their colleagues
they would have supported the measure
from the first to last. In addition to the
deep interest which they both take in the
Hennepin Canal scheme, the following
items in the bill will show that the State
of Illinois had something of stake in the
outcome:
Improving Mississippi river, from head
of passes to Cairo. including harbors at
New Orleans, Natchez, Vicksburg and
Memphis, S4, 1913 900; improving Mississip
p river from Cairo to Illinois river, includ |
ing Alton harbor, 100000; improving |
Mississippi river from Illinois river to Des |
Moines Rapids, 100000.
Concerning these monstrous items the |
Cincinnati Commercial remarks: |
The $500 900 of the items relating to |
tbs river above Cairo were the price of |
votes for the 81 100000 fraud down the |
river There is not the slightest intention |
to use this money tor actual improvem ents. |
The swindle is fragrant and shameless. and |
a sin not less against common sense than |
common honesty. The success of such an |
outrage-and even the President did not |
know better than to approve this most |
scandalous item of the bill he vetoed--is |
as ominous of i'll as any event since our |
nationality was confirmed by the war of |
the states.
AS much as we regret the passage of |
this scandalous measure, we do not attach |
as much importance to it as does the Mail |
or the Commercial. We regard it as a pub |
lie disgrace, and as indicating vicious
tendency to profigacy and corruption on
the part of our public men.