Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-01-08
Arraign the Guilty.

81. Louis Republic.
Democrats now begin to see what
opportunities they have been ne
glecting.
In politics there is no exception to
the rule that attack is better than
defense.
Democratic leaders have not only
invited attack, but have weakened
their defense by internal feuds.
All the logic OF facts makes the re-
publican party an apologist.
II there is evil in issuing bonds to
maintain the redemption of currency
notes, the republican party forced
the government into the market as
borrower.
IL IL is n revenue deficiency which
causes the trcasury's embarrassment,
the republican party spent the sur
plus and pulled the ends Of income
and expenditure apart.
II the currency is botch, the repub-
licans are its makers.
II is on record that republican
president ordered a republican secre-
tary OF the treasury to prepare
plates for issuing bonds long before
Mr.. Cleveland was inaugurated. The
order is on file in the treasury de-
partment.
In the campaigns Of two years the
republicans have carried on with
great success an aggressive fight
with no better material than the
falsehood that n democratic president
is responsible for republican crimi-
mality.
There could have been no such
success il democratic leaders had
taken their posts and discharged
their duties as political soldiers with
ordinary ability. The huge central
falsehood which was the Key of the
whole republican strength would
have demolished with one determined
and solid advance of the men elected
by the democratic party to enlarge
its power by proving its rectitude.
John Sherman may shift to either
positIon-may charge that bonds are
issued to supply revenue deficiencies
or admit that they are used to main
tain the currency reserve.
His party robbed the treasury. II
the Mckinley law had remained.
there would still be difficulty in
meeting expenditures with taxation.
N His own name branded a republic
IAN law which piled $3.50. 600. 900 new
Totes on the gold reserve; a law
hich in precise terms, by a clause
pjoining exact parity OF gold, silver
I'D paper, compelled the secretary
~ the treasury to treat the bullion
: merchandise and the notes as
barge on the gold reserve.
raud Of the republican argument is
apparent either way. II the bonds
we're issued only to protect the gold
reserve, and il the gold reserve was
fepleted because there was doubt in
iegard to the currency standard, re-
publican legislation raised the doubt
~ increasing the debt standing
against the reserve and passed the
NV which ordered the government
} issue bonds when necessary to
Iaintain the redemption of notes.
evenue deficiency or gold reserve
efficiency, whichever it is, republic
Tns made il. aud by the official con-
sion OF their last president pleaded
lily prior to the evil Tin ancial DAYS
1898.
There has been a plausibility in
sir fraud. The worst conse.
.nces Of their wickedness and
~ fell upon the nation after the
uguration Of democratic presi.
mt. But II democratic leaders had
On true to their party's welfare,
people would never have been
kposed upon by n shallow plausi.
blity. One set Of them helped Il g
epublicans in the east by laying ali
kinds Of blame on western friends OF