Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-08-04
PUT In A PROTEST.
People Who Oppose the Fed
eraI Election Bill.
MAss-MEETING AT oHIVs CAPITAL

Judge Thurman Writes IL Brief Letter in
Which He Opens His Batteries the
Measure Governor Campbell Denies
His Alleged BeIligerency-Another In
cident in the Tiiiman Campaign in
South Caroiina-Gcn. Palmer Meets an
oratorical DifhcuIty.
COLUMBUS, o., Aug. A large audience
assembled in the state house grounds Sat
urday evening TO hear the speeches made
at the meeting TO protest against the
passage of the Lodge federal election bin.
Hon. A. G. Thurman found at the last
moment that he could not be present, and
Mayor Bruck, who presided in his stead,
read the following letter from him: Il
much regret that severe illness, that con-
fines me closely to my house, prevslts my
acceptance of your polite invitation to at
tend and speak at the meeting of citizens
of Columbus, to be held at the state house
tonight, to give expression to their views
of the Lodge bill. so-called, that was
passed 10y the house of representatives in
congress and is now pending in the SEN
ate
Hireling Irresponsibies to Rule.
"Uuder the pretense of purifying the
elections it provides an elaborate machin-
cry by which the will of the people may be
overthrown and the choice of their so
called representatives be made by n set of
hireling and irresponsible federal officials,
chosen without any agency of the people
and acting under the order of superior
| set of dictators, whose terms of office will
practically be without limitation as TO
-. h. I'D
of irresponsible partisans. And TO sup
port this machinery an immense fund,
which, il is said, may amount TO millions,
is to be drawn from the pockets of the
people and to be used as bribery or cor
| ruption fund to perpetuate the rule of the
party in power.
Hopes for Defeat in the Senate
"Then the BILL if enacted into law,
will serve to intensity and perpetuate sec
tionalism and race preiudices and to undo
much that may have been done to put an
end to those deplorable evils. The doubt
| full, to say the least of Them constitution
| atty of some of the most important pro-
visions of the bill, and the immense and
unprecedented stretch of Federal power
involved in it cannot fail to strike every
student of the constitution and al..rm all
| tice of the fathers. am not without hope
| that the bill viii fail in the senate / sin
cerely pray that it will, and that thus
baneful revolution in our government be
avertedn
| Denuneiatory Resolutions Adopted.
4 letter vas read from ex-President
Cleveland, in which be excused himself
from attendance on the ground OF previous
engagement, but asked To be entered as
one of the protestants, though he thought
that "the protests of the people have little
| weight with the present congress. Some
| more letters were read, and then the reso-
lutions were put before the meeting After
preamble stating the objections to the
election bill, the resolve is declared that
we denounce the passage of this bill by
the house of representatives. and most
earnestly protest against its enactment by
| the senate"
| Campbell Denies a Report.
The speakers were Hon. George l.. Con-
verse; Capt A f. Lee "a Republican OPP
ponent of the bilD. NJ ID. Harter, and
Governor Campbell. The governors
speech was short, and in the course of il
he denied the newspaper statement That
he had declared that he would call out the
| whole military force OF Ohio. if necessary,