Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-11-18

bill In the new house the Democrats Will
number l.2 or l1S, and the supporters of rev.
enue reform will I've just as strong as they
are at the present time The loss therefore
falls on the Democrats who are opposed to
reform rather than on those favoring it, and
the result is therefore u distinct victory for
the reform element
Certain papers have pointed with glee to
the fact that certain supporters of revenue
reform in the present house failed of renom-
nation, but they studiously omit to add that
their successors are with us on that issue,
and that the change was simply
that of men and not of princi-
pies. There is another point upon
which l have not previously spoken
The protectionists papers throughout the
country are loudly claiming that the new
labor vote which has been developed in GER
tain parts of the country is another crushing
blow at Morrison's views, or as l prefer to
call it, at revenue reform. Nothing can be
further from the facts as they exist In very
few of the elections did this issue enter at all
and if the wOrkingmen of the part of the
country voted indirectly against our princi-
pies, they did just the opposite at the other
end.
For instance in New York. Henry
George, an avowed free trader gets over
$4,000 workinsmen's votes, while here in
Chicago, III one of the strongest pro
tectionist districts in Illinois, Con-
gresham LAWYER who was a thick and
thin opponent of Morrison's bill, gets through
barely by the skin of his teeth Setting
these facts against the defeat of Morrison,
Hurd and other reformers it will be seen that
if the protectionists are going TO Use the labor
vote as an argument they must admit that
the account is about equally balanced even if
it is not TO our advantage and they must also
admit that where the labor vote has been
most fully develo ped the preponderance as
i'll New York and Chicago has been in favor
of our views
These are facts, and stubborn ones, and
tend to justify my opinion that the result of
the ele ctions has not only been favorable
to the cause of revenue reform, but that that
cause is stronger in and out of the house than
ever
In response to n personal question, the
speaker said: The reports that have been
chagrined by the result of the elections in nv
own district are purely sensational Had nv
opponent gained on the vote against me in
the prior elections there would have been
good ground for the allegation that there was
a condemnation of my course and principals.
But as matter of fact my competitor did
not poll one-half of the opposition
vote which was deposited at the previous
election, while the natural opinion of my
own supporters that my seat was not in any
danger accounts for the lack of activity
which resulted in the Democratic decrease
in the Democratic vote Had the differences
between my supporters in 1854 and 'S6 gone
over to my opponent nobody would deny the
significance of the result, but as he polled
only about half of the vote given to Mr.
Sandrum in 1884, there is no need to waste
words in explanation. As to a contest of
my seat have no advices, but / can only
say that there is not the slightest grounds
whatever for such a course "