Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-04-26

mailed i'll one city frequently did not
reach the postoffice box of the party
to whom it was mailed in the other
city till the second day.
As early as 1854 bowling was popu-
lar in the city. S. b. Harrington.
who kept an alley. offered prize of
a SIS gold pen to the one making the
during a given time.
The poets, it appears. were not en-
tirely unappreciated. There was for
some time near the end of the year
Il standing notice To the effect that
the author of the best New Years
! address in verse. of not less than 100
lines, would be given Il years sub
Scription to The Argus free. together
with the best magazine published in
the United States for a like period.
| Evidently the prize hung up was not
sufficiently alluring to call forth the
highest efforts of the muses.. for near
the end of the year the offer was rails
ed to So cash.
Throughout the columns of the pa
per advertising seemed to have the
riEht-of-way and news features con-
tstituted the exception rather than
the rule.
In the first issue of The Argus,
which succeeded the Republican De-
cember II, 1851. appeared an editorial
explaining the reason for the change
of name by which The Argus came
into being. The Republican. as the
paper had been known from the be
ginning, was held by the editor rs
not properly conveying the principles
of the paper which were declared in
the date line as follows: I'VE go
where democratic principles lead the
way-when they disappear we cease
to follow" The paper up to that
time had been styled The Daily Re
publican. 1t set forth in the editor
ial referred to that I'VE have after
deliberation concluded to adopt what
we conceive to be a more appropriate
name for our paper and Will give our
patrons a few of the reasons which
have governed our action in the mat
ter. Names are of no consequence.
says one. but principles are This
may he true. generally, but the name
of political paper is often an indf-
cation of its party politics. We often
see. however. papers called by very
inappropriate names and indicating
an adherence to Il party whose prin-
cipies are the very opposite to its
political character. In such case we
believe IL il better to change the
name than allow strangers to be de-
ceived.
1T is well known To all our read
crs that the opposition to the nation
al democratic party under the lead of
such men as Seward. GiddingS. Chase,
Sumner and Wilson are ranging them
selves in battle array against the
democracy under the misapplied
name of 'republicans' This has led
us to regard the name Republican
as an inappropriate one for our pa
per. When its publication was COM
menced no such state of things exist
ed and the name was not only an hon
orable one to bear. but an appropriate
one. Now it has been disgraced by
ISClf-appropriated association with d
party advocating principles subver-
sive TO our government.
1t is now evident that in the APP
preaching election. whatever may be
the local names of factions. there will
be two parties; one Il party for the
constitution. the other Il party
against the constitution: one a party
for the union. the other party for
disunion; one sectional party com
posed of sectional portion of the
north. the other II party of the whole
country"
After contrasting the principles
of the two great parties then in eX-
istence the editorial goes ON to de-
clare. in behalf of the democratic
party "ralIying to defend the princi-
pies of this great party come the no.
bic spirits of the land-men who
have shown their devotion to our glo-
rious union. in many hard fought
contests, under such devoted leaders
as Jackson. Clay. Calhoun, Wright.
Webster. Douglass, Sass. Everett and
Buchanan. and who will teach the
dcmagogucs of this new-fangled re
publican party that patriotism is
not merely name nor devotion to
our country. our union, our constitu
ton a by-word.
The name we have chosen for our
paper we hope will please our friends.
and that they will use a little effort
to extend its circulation. and
strengthen our hands for the great
battle of SO.
Our exchanges will do US Il favor
by mentioning the change of name.
and the reasons which have~impeIled
us i'm this course. Also to change the
direction of their paper from Repub-
lican to Argus
The Great Dismal Swamp
OF Virginia is breeding ground of
malaria germs. So is low, wet or
marshy ground everywhere. These