The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-09-24

ing the election of Cleveland. They had
not left the party of their adoption without
cause, not for their love for democracy.
They could have office if they desired it,
in fact the republican party would be
willing to give them almost anything if
they would go back to the fold. Why
was it, then, that these great men have
left the republican party in disgust?
Honest republicans should pause and
think why it was. He did not claim that
all goodness lies in the democratic party
or that the entire republican party was
corrupt. The present disgraceful condi-
ton of the republican party had been
brought about by the reason that the
worst element of the party were handling
the governmental reins. A bad politician
might not steal, but he would sacrifice a
good deal for his party's sake and would
squander the peoples money without
much thought Public office is public
trust, and while holding such Office no
one has a right to think of his own inter
ests. The man who expended the peoples
money extravagantly, was committing
nothing less than a robbery.
Democrats and republicans alike were
in favor of good government, a governs
ment in which they would be able to live
and make fair wages, so that they could
lay something aside for rainy day, and
when they were called to that home be-
You'd the skies they could leave compe-
tence for their families. Idleness and
poverty is prevalent everywhere, which
were undoubtedly one of the blessings of
protection. They did not want the chair
of Washington, Jackson and Jefferson
occupied by a man of Blaine's character,
whose honesty was clouded in suspicion.
1t was a noble cause that brought the res
publican party into power-the abolish
ment of slavery. He had left Kentucky
because he did not believe in her slave
laws, and came to the free state of Illinois.
The democratic or the wing party could
not abolish slavery, for the same reason
that the republican party cannot reform
themselves. If any great measure was to
be advanced by the republican party, he
might not blame them for wanting to
stay in power four years more, even with
such bad man as Mr.. Blaine at the head
of the government. There is nothing in
their platform to make men support the
party. 1t is the same old story told every
four yeats. but this time the party is worse
off than ever before. The republican
party reminded him CT a potato patch
the best men were under the ground
They have given away the public lands
to sOulless corporations, and now say they
in tend 10 save the lands for actual settlers
A democratic house passed a bill to reclaim
these lands, but republican senate
failed to confirm the action of the house
At their convention in June the republi
can party SAID they were in favor of hay
ing territorial governors appointed from
residents of the territory. Within TEL
days after that time Gil Pierce, a Chicago
newspaper man, was appointed governor
of Dakota They have also announced
that they would build up merchant ma
rine. Thirty years ago one half the com
merce of the world was carried by United
States steamships, but our carrying trade
, gradually diminished, until now i
amounts to nominally nothing. He hat
) visited Europe in 1851, and saw full,
600 American vessels on the way ant
in foreign ports. He went again in IA
rs, &c and 80 and during those four trip
he only saw three American ships. Tn
merchant marine has gone where tn
woodbine twiueth, and if we were en-
gagged in war with Johnny Bull We woul,
have to call on Germany, Sweden or Ire
land TO man our privateers. 1891 600
600 has been spent by the navy depart
ment, but there was only one being VIII,
could tell where it had all gone He hu
morously referred to the sad fate of tn
Tallapoosa, which was sunk by an insig
nificant schooner, thus destroying the en-
tire American navy.
EIGHT HOUR LAW.
The speaker then referred to the eigh
hour law, saying that it had been syste
matically disregarded for years, and was
dead letter on the statute books. He wa
in favor of the eight hour law himself, no
because it would make men idle, but tt
make them happy. He didn't think tina
God meant to make this life treadmill
He had saw in a newspaper-but he neve
believed what he saw in newspaper
that Blaine had got men from Hungary t.
work in his coal Mines and discharged
his American laborers. High protection
was a mockery. With all their cry Blain,
or his party never protected man. Dur
ing Blaine's term of twenty years in con
gress he never passed
A SINGLE ELL
in the interest of the people. He wa
, always lobbying for corporations and mo
nopolies His own papers openly charge
Blaine with political corruption. II
, (Harrison) was in congress himself an
although he asked for all tn
money honestly due him, h
could not, save anything, at tn
- same time living economically. He dare
any republican TO look him square in tn
eye and say that Blaine was good hon
est brave man He would not bring IL