The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-10-07

the Inauguration OF hutneElOlu D.
Hayes a. president Of the United
States in 1877 the IL years reign
Of terror in the southern states
came to an end. Violent anarchy,
supported by bayonets Of the United
States troops, and utter defiance OF
law by thA government 1T Washing
ton, brought Mr.. Hayes to the
presidency. b It said to his ever
lasting credit that he did despise
the bridge that carried him over
and that he restored free govern
ment in tho states Of the south.
The Hayes Inauguration marked
the end Of the most furiously
fought political and politico-legal
contest this country has ever seen.
To begin with. only II years had
elapsed since the end Of the Civil
war. and the Democratic party was
accused by every Republican ora
tor of . desire to restore the dead
confederacy. Against this charge
the Democrats pleaded their 10y
atty to the flag and sent Demo-
cratic Union generals over the
country, spell-binding. Fires OF
partisanship burned fiercely, and
while they added to the heat of the
campaign. other factors decided its
outcome ts-s..stt
The panic Of 1873 had plunged the
l.country into financial distress and
business depression such as it had
not known before. Jay Gould was
teaching Wall street some tricks
that have not been wholly forgot
ten. The difference in value be-
tween the greenback and the gold
dollar was the basis of the widest
speculation. in which the common
people" invariably got the worst
end of the bargain. These business
conditions caused the people to
want a change for the sake OF a
change. The Tilden Democracy
promised the resumption of specie
payments and an end to business
distress.
The scandals of the Grant admin
listration, which had resulted in the
Greeley detection of 1872, had in
creased instead of diminished The
famous whisky Ring" had been
exposed, and q scapegoat or two
was on the way to the penitentiary.
1.-THE secretary of war, Belknap, was
impeached, and escaped conviction
only by resigning under fire. Said
the Democratic platform, the work
of Tilden and Watterson:
A Hot Platform.
when the annals of the Repub-
lie show the disgrace and censure
Of vice president; late speaker
Of the house of representatives
marketing his rulings as a presid-
ing officer; three senators profiting
secretly by their votes as law-mak-
ers; five chairmen Of the leading
committees of the house of repre-
sentatives exposed in robbery; a
late secretary of the treasury forg-
ing balances in the public accounts;
a late attorney general misappro-
priating public funds; a secretary
Of the navy enriched or enriching
friends by percentages levied off
the profits of contractors with his
department; an ambassador to Eng
land censured in a dishonorable
speculation; the presidents private
secretary barely escaping convic-
ton upon trial for guilty completely
in frauds upon the revenue; a Sec
rotary Of war impeached for high
crimes and misdemeanors-the
demonstration is complete that the
first step in reform must be the
peoples choice of honest men from
another party, lets the disease Of
one political organization infecI
the body polite, and lest, by max
ing no change OF men or parties
We get no change of measures and
no real reform"
| Upon this line the Democrats
fought their battles. 1t is useless
perhaps, to go undertaking into
the past to tell of these scandals ir
particular; let it suffice to say tina
neither before nor since in the his
tory Of the country has the faint o
graft been so noisome at the sea
Of the federal government.
The Democrats nominated Sam
uel ]. Tilden for president, after /;
sharp but unequal contest in whicl
Thomas A. Hendricks of Indian;
was his leading opponent. Hen
bricks was named for vice presi
dent.
Blaine Beaten.
1 The Republicans met at Cincin
natl. James G. Blaine was the gen
eral favorite for the nomination
and but for the chicanery of tn
administration would have bee
selected. Blaine had already be
come the popular idol of the Re
publicans. He was placed in nomi
nation at Cincinnati by the eloquen
Robert G. Ingersoll in the famou
: speech which gave Blaine the nam
: of THE Plumed Knight" On tn
I first ballot Rutherford B. Haye.
ex-governor of Ohio, stood fifth
His colOrless, although blameles
record caused him to be selected a
the favorite dark horse, and he re
|. ceived the nomination. on th
seventh ballot, although Blaine ha
|. more votes than on any other coun
Hayes was held up by the RI