The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-08-18
HAMILTCN'S HARANGUE.
The Protein Governor of Illinois Talks
to a Mixed Crowd in Rock Island---
What He Said-..The Procession.
Etc.-.A Slim Jim Affair.

Saturday evening Moline sent $50 men
and boys with torches to Rock Island.
Milan sent fifty, and other places cons
tributed hundred, which, with Rock
Islands marching force, formed about a
half thousand men in line for the great,
much talked of political blowout. About
the middle of the procession was squad
of "coons" from Davenport, Rock Island
and Moline. Their peculiar style
of marching created considerable
amusement along the line of march.
After a tedious wait until at least s
O'Clock, the menagerie moved off and
walked around several blocks. 1t had
grown so dark along the line of march
that people sometimes burned red fire to
see what was going on.
After plodding around the streets in a
disorganized and aimless sort of way for
an hour the crowd finally brought up in
Union square to listen to the harangue of
Mr. Hamilton. of Springfield. When
the bowling mob outside the crowded
stand had got quoted somewhat, j. ].
Reimers, president of the Blaine and Lo-
gan club called the meeting to order and
announced song by the Glee club, com
posed of Messrs. J. K Cooke Pete
Bloom, viii Don and Arthur Atkinson, of
this city, and W. J. Lavender and L.
Knocke, of Davenport. The club sang
I'm the old Virginia Lowlands" Mr.. W.
H. Gest then introduced Mr.. J. NJ. Ham,
ilton, pro TEN governor of Illinois.
The governor stepped forward and
in stentOrian tones began his effort with
lot of taffy about the fine turn out, etc
The mob he beheld surrounding him, he
said, reminged him of the time when he
used to carry torch. That was a long
time ago. He then went on to tell that
the American voter was clothed with the
attributes of sovereignty and should ex
ercise his rights without passion or power
He next touched upon the ISLANDERS and
thought that the persona: calumnies with
which the public mind had been filled
should not be. He did not stop to say
which party had started this villainous
and underhanded political warfare The
| yirtuous speaker did not propose to be
lead into discussions of private character
He was too much of a curled darling fol-
that. He proposed to handle the vita
| issues of the campaign if he could find
any. Then he began a search for vital
issues 1t was his solemn opinion ex-
pressed in whangdoodle voice, that Mr.
Blaine was the very best man who had
ever been nominated for president of the
United States. John A. Logan also was
a very great character. He was born in
Egypt, one of the darkest and mos
ignorant sections of the state, and
the speaker seemed to think that
| fact most eminently fitted him fol
vice president of the United States. He
told of the time when John A. Logan was
a democrat. That was years before he
became political trickster and national
bore
Next the illustrious accident spoke Of
Grover Cleveland. He could find nothing
in the record of this true and noble poll
tician to criticise, so he made frequent
illusions to the unwarranted scandal
about which he had promised in the
start not to say anything, probably il
the light Of recent Developments in Mr.
Blaine's private record. His only oh,
lection to Gov. Cleveland was that
the latter had not had enough ex
perience in political matters to qualify
him for the duties of the office of presi
dent. I'VE have" exclaimed the speaker
been IN office as governors OF
New York and Illinois about
the same length of time, and | dc
not feel as though was qualified for the
office of president of the United States
How magnanimOus. How egotistical
He then attacked Gov Cleveland's record
as reform governor, but he could
make nothing out of it, and
soon dropped the matter tc
attack Thomas A. Hendricks. Although
he said that Gov Cleveland had record
too conveniently short to attack, he die
not attack the long record of Thomas A
Hendricks because it was too inconven
iently pure no doubl. He merely called
him copperhead and passed on to Hon
Garter Harrison, the democratic candidate
| for Governor, He had nothing new to say
about MIR. Harrison, bringing up the thread
bare argument about him fostering the
Mike Mcdonald gang in Chicago anc
catering to the hummer element. These
stories are republican stock in trade. HI
also pitched into Frank Lawler, an alder
man in Chicago, who has nothing to de
with national or state politics. Mr.. Ham
ilton only mentioned the name of "gallan
old Dick Oglesby' once. He showed
during his discussion of the candidate:
for this Office that he had been sorely
disappointed in not getting the nomina
ton for the offie of governor, and h,
wound up by saying that since he coult
not be leader he would be a follower
A very natural conclusion, indeed.
He next tackled the tariff problem ant
devoted half hour to it. His argument
on this subject was the same that ha
been heard a dozen of times before
Protection was the cry, and the speake
went on in an attempt to show how mucl
the republican party had done for thu
country by protective tariff. He attri-