Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-06
LAYS DOWN EASY.
Boss Wells, Afraid to Face the Music,
Declines the Challenge Of the Amer
lean Tariff Reform League.

lean Tariff Reform League.
"He who fights and runs away,
Will live 10 fight another day.
This is the case with Boss Wells. |
Time" is called, and he fails to come to |
the scratch, while his opponent is spoil,
ing for the fray.
If any benighted person is still in doubt
as to which political party is most close
ly identified with American interests, and
whose principles aud policy most strong
ly commend it to the suffrages of the peo-
pie. the repeated refusals of the republi>
can party, through its chairman, Boss
Wells, to meet democratic representatives
in friendly and intelligent discussion,
should no longer leave them in the dark.
The democratic party, in firm and I'M
faulteripg belief, that a revision and re-
duction of the tariff is an absolute neces-
sity for continued national prosperity ,ex
presses willingness and desire to meet
the advocates of an opposing policy on
the forum, where the people will have an
opportunity TO listen and to Judge.
First. a challenge was issued by the
democrats for joint debate between the
two candidates for states attorney in this
county, which was refused by the repub-
licans on flimsy pretext. The most re-
cent cause for showing the cowardice of
Boss Wells and his republican conductors,
however. was the following challenge:
AMERICAN TARIFF REFORM LEAGUE,
CHICAGO, Ill October l, 1888.
| To the Rock Island Republican County Commit
| tee, Rock Island, Ills:
GENTLEMEN:-The purpose of this Or
ganization is to aid in the education of
the people upon the tariff question; and.
believing public debates to De among the
most effective means of promoting such
education, and holding opinions of this
subject adverse to those advocated by the
republican party in the present campaign,
we hereby challenge you to joint dis
cussion of the tariff issue to be decided
by the approaching presidential election,
We do not place any restriction upon
your selection of representative in the
proposed debate. We expect to confine
ourselves, in our choice, to resident OF
this city and former republican.
Our officers, executive and advisory
committees. are men of republican ante
cedents. We leave you the naming o
the date, only asking sufficient notice Il
1 enable US to have our representative OF
the ground An early reply will great,
oblige. respectfully,
AMERICAN TARIFF REFORM LEAGUE,
t 115 Monroe St. Chicago, Ills
Y Boss Wells published his second refu
sal yesterday morning. He had bee
s screwing up his courage TO the stickin
4 point for several days, but his nerve sud
+, denly left him and he collapsed entirely
II When brsg and buster and brass band
c only are required the Boss is in his ele
| ment, but he is fearful of the result of
It calm and unimpassioned discussion of tn
: questions that are engaging the publ
1t mind at the present time. Four years az
n the republicans found it necessary to bol
Q ster up the courage of their party orga
10 with load of sand, and it seems that Ii
he tie of the same medicine would be prop
er prescription for Boss Wells at this tim