Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-02-06
Palmer and the Princirle.


St. Louis Republic.
when ali political parties in the United
States are forced to bring their candidates
for The United States senate before the
people, the purchase of the senstorship
will no longer be so diSgracefully common
as 1t has been under the caucus auction
system. 1t is true that it will be possib e
in some cases to buy the senatorial uomi>
nation from The party convention, but in
every cEee the people will review the &C,
hoa of 81 party conventions and by their
ballots 81 The polls nominate the man
whom they themselves regard as tittest;
whereas from the auction in caucus they
have 30 sppeal-not even to the bribery
laws. es the caucus having no legal exis-
tence, there is no legal punishment, for
selling votes in ii, though votes so sold
send the purchaser to the United States
senate.
As senatorship after senatorship has
thus been disposed OF. year after year: as
the disgrace, corruption and Oppression
Of the system have gone from bad to
worse, al patriotic people who desire the
peTPetuS'iOn of American liberty came to
see clearly that there must be a change
for the better or popular confidence in
our system of government would be
destroyed. Although the evil was every.
where recognized. DO adequate remedy
was proposed until the democrats of Iili>
Dols, IN state convention, boldly declared
against the caucus auction. and standing
on the principle of the right of the people
20 choose their senator's went TO the polls
with John NJ. Palmer as candidate fer
the senate subject TO the will of the peo-
PIE, to be declared by their votes
Not daring to deny openly the right of
the people TO choose, the republicans tao
lily refused TO acknowledge popular iur,
lsdlctIon and held to the caucus auction.
Tse farmers organizations named no
candidate before the people, but formally
Endorsed the principle of popular choice.
OF which Gen. Palmer was already before
the people as representative.
So the case stands today before the leg
islature OF Illinois. Messrs. Moore and
Cockren were elected as Independents on
platform iDdorsing the principle of pop
uisr choice against the caucus auction,
and they are to decide by their votes
whether the principle is to triumph or to
be defeated
Let them decide without further DELAY.
The republican sttemps to control them
with money have failed. and Mr. Quay's
corruption fund is understood TO be ont
OF the fight. The only hope the caucus
auctionisis have of winning now is
through tIsde Of some kind which will
secure the votes of Messrs. Cockren and
Moore for somebody Amy body TO beat the
principle OF popular choice involved in
the candidacy of Gen. Palmer as the reg,
ular nominee of the people of Illinois.
The democrats cannot trade They are
bound 10 cast every vote on every ballot
for the principle of popular choice and
for the man nominated by the people
themselves TO represent it.
No matter how good a man Mr.. Street.
er is, he is not the nominee CT the peo-
pie. He did not go before the people
and submit his candidacy to their decis-
ION. Therefure, no democrat can vote
the right OF the people to choose.
The democrats have nothing to offer
Hessrs Moore and Cockrell except this
principles principle which viii change
the whole course OF American history as
soon as it is made the practice of our
politics; a principle that will put check
on Inc reign OF bribery and corruption;
that will say to the plutocrscy, $50 far
and no farther that will give the con-
troll of the Unites States senate to the
people; but only principle. which as
man and an American You take or leave
on your own responsibility, with no trad
ing TO persuade you for or against it.
The great reform begun in Illinois by
the action of the people in November
cannot be defeated. The principle they
then Endorsed has an enduring vitality in
II, and it will succeed But its success
may be delayed. Its first great triumph
may be rendered fruitlesa. It may be
made necessary to DO over again under
greater difficulties all that has been done
already. And this Messrs. Moor and
Cockrell can bring about. The decision
IS with them. Let them decide. They
know their own minds If they are for
q trade, the republicans will trade with
them. If they are for the principle of
popular choice of United States senator,
let them vote with the people. for the
people and by the people in giving their
votes for John N. Palmer, the nominee
Of the people.