Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-08-17
THE DAILY ARGUS
JOHN W. POTTER.



glitter and gush OF the present remarks-
Bile occasion. For two months the entire |
republican party has been eagerly await |
ing his coming, delaying every move on
the political chess-board and holding
back from the contest in nervous timid |
itv rs if nothing could be ventured till he |
came back. And now that he Is here his |
arrival is celebrated, not alone in New |
York, but, either literally or metaphors |
Cally, throughout the country, with a
bIare of brass. a splitter of red fire, and
general fanfare of noisy adulatlon that
would do credit to crowd of college
students welcoming a victorious boat
crew. All these tswdry demonstrations
and fulsome speeches are such serious
reflections on the dignity of popular gov
eminent, and must be so disgusting to
the thoughtful citizen that it would be
more agreeable, doubtless, could they be
silently ignored. But it ought to be
thought necessary by everyone to try to
get nj the meaning of this unique event
in our country's political history.
In the first place, who is this Mr.
Blaine that he should have a reception
such as no American citizen, in public or
private life, has ever before been givenr
After his Withdrawal, voluntary or
forced, from the presidential contest,
and So long as he remained in the private
life he had at least pretended to prefer,
1t was only fair that both he and his
record should be let alone. But now that
he is once more in the field, now that he
is IN assume fran This time on the DOsi.
ton of leadership that rightfully belongs
to Benjamin Harrison, now that it is per
tectly well understood that, in the event
of republican success, he IS to be the
secretary of state and the heart and sou
of the Harrison administration. it is
time for plaia speaking The shame
full facts i'll his political record neec
not fortunately, be rehearsed IN detail
for they are known of all men. The
briefest summary OF the case is this: |
is known that Mr. J. o. Blaine has beer
brIbe-takcr and q falsifier. it is known
that in a long public career he has fire.
quentIy suhordnated public interests Il
his own personal ends, it is know
that he has grown rich while hoOdin!
small salsried positions by the device o
selling his official influence and action
it is known that he has been no dca
head in many an enterprise that n
honest legislator would ever have EN-
parked IN And all TINS knowledge rests
not upon rnm"T or charges. but upon m
own signed letters which have been
the possession Of the public for years
While bis active career has embraced tn
most important period in his country
history, he has given no evidence Of eve
ordinarily astute craftsmanship; he ha
not performed II single great civic deco
ard he has been surpassed by scores
his contemporaries IN the value OF h
pubic services The very best that ca
pt salu al MN II tuat ne Is Hlah Oh rt
markaoIe brlIhancy, though II Is IN
brllllancY OF tlnsel' That be IS nuel
speaker, and that he has great talen
gwen him by nature ana increased oy Al
sidu"us Pratuce' I"r ooscurlhe 'he It,
point III discussion oy maze oI s"uuu
ihS ""'uS'
luere Is hothlhS' uieh, III lht ma
himself that can explain the NOISY honoI
he Is now getting from every corner
the country where 1883 repubhcsnlsl
can get itself heard. The meaning OF
must be sought IN the political condltla
oil lhoSe VINO are shouting ana taking
nnconceaied 10Y over his return.
means that there Is Tue closest sympatt
between the repuhIlcanism oil To-Day Al
the laeHs, helhons anu purposes Oh NJ
Oh u blaine. lie represents II Is uu
pretty mhrh All tuAI Is Dad ID PRAGUE
P"iliics, hht ne represents II must
NHlIS confessed an" III MS own pers
enl""uIts' the very eSsence ol 'he Ftpu
Ilchh party as NJ present organized al
controlled, lie believes that any pol
cal methods, any fnlSe charges, any m
representations nt facts any oOscurll
OF real issues are commendable, if OF
they give promise OF success st the poi
tie believes that the furtherance OF nee
ed reforms is OF less consequence than |
acquisition OF olhces, that the mamie
ance oil consistency IS not TO ne count
against ihe opportunity 10 calch Vo
ana mat PoltlCai platforms should
framed not so much to believe IN AS
win on And these peculiar beliefs
ms are precisely the tcntts OF the repu
HcahIsh "l 1888, IN TACT "hlIe bal
himself was uoInlnhilY, II not really,
teated at Chicago, blaIneism has kept
grip on The republican party. BialDet
ana rePHDllcahisIh are To-Day conVeru
terms, ana IL Is blalnelsm mat now "
comes Blaine.
But The dee per meaning OF the warn
ana Joy oil TINS receptl"n-a receptl
that does not seem 10 he uaihpehed by