The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-02-01
BONE NEW POLITICS.

The republicans are losing ground very
rapidly. John Sherman's effort to revive
the bloody shirt has merely sufiiced to
make palpable the partially invisible cloak
of hypocrisy and falsehood which he has
worn many years; and Mr.. Boutell's effort
to provoke the democracy, and especially
southern democrats, into expressions
which might be converted into campaign
documents has so much more than failed
that the gentleman and his friends feel
as If they had been whipped into de-
cency they never before dreamed Of.
This is the lesson of the pretty little
spat in the house January 90. Republi
can humbug has lost its power because
democratic truth has ceased to be timid
und at the same time it has learned to
temper its utterances with not so much
the heat of anger as the moderate warmth
OF Diplomatic common sense. The aver
age democrat has had more honesty than
ingenuity. 1t has been his habit to blurt
speeches rather than TO consider them
and their effect upon the public. Forced
into a fight, he has struck out recklessly
his purpose being to settle the impending
Issue and never to reflect upon the re
suits to come from it. The advantage
of the adroit pup over the reflective larger
dog who does not want to fight and
merely wants to enjoy life comfortably is
very well understood. A bee worried an
elephant to death aud diplomatic red
rag has driven an honest bnll to such in-
sanity that he has killed his best friends
and been shot to death, the exhibitor OF
the bloody little shirt escaping the penal
ty he deserved.
The southern democrats of the house
have learned the wisdom of the mild and
conservative speech which characterizes
the cold calculating northern republican.
They are not more honest than they were.
for they have been so honest ever since
the war that they have suspected no pur>
pose to trade upon them and the little
affections and prejudices which war on
genders, and which naturally remain af-
ter the proclamation OF pence. Heaven
knows they were taught humiliation
enough by the rule Of the carpet-bagger-
but they ought, whatever the privileges OF
house OF representatives with respect to
free speech may be. to have learned very
much earlier the virtue of suppression in
that place as well as within their own
borders. However. they have learned al
last, and pretty thoroughly. They do
not tiy their Indignation at the buzz Of q
too malignant and calculating wasp. and
they are quiet enough. with all theil All
ger, when the red shirt is painted before
their eyes. They have quite the ability
and much of the ingenuity OF the enemy
They understand the game. They reflect
that they have furnished ammunition for
for the enemy long enough.
Perhaps this is little epoch in the his
tory Of our politics. That the brusque,
fiery. unsuspicious southern democrl 1t
and for that matter the northern demo
crat--has learned the ways OF his antag.
onist and knows how to use his acquired
wisdom is good deal to suppose. The
more important fact is, however that
with false pretence fairly exposed that
kind Of swindling necessarily goes to the
wall The republican party and its John
Shermsns and Eliza Pinkstons must seek
new issues or fade into the nothingness
to which they belong. The democratic
party has won success not to put its stee
aside, but to use it to better advantage
than it has been used for a quarter OF d
century.