Rock Island Daily Argus

WHERE ARE THEY!
Republican Candidates in Sympathy with the Know-nothings and Begging for the Votes of the Foreign Born.

The attempt of Fifer, Ray, Pearson and other candidates on the Republican state ticket to hold the votes of the foreign born and Catholic members of their party while expecting the support of the Know-nothing organizations are involving them in a political snarl from which there is no escape. So far as Ray is concerned, he is known to be an active member of the Know-nothing society and a part owner of the society's organ at Morris, his home. Fifer and Pearson are suspected of being members of the organization, and it is known that letters promising compliance with the principles of these societies have been sent out from their offices. They have been given away by some of their enthusiastic Know-nothing friends, who are chuckling over the way the foreign born and Catholic voters are being fooled. Both these men are on their knees to the Germans and Irish, and are at the same time in close communion with men who are organized under a banner on which is inscribed, "No foreign born or Catholic person shall vote or hold office in this country."

It is such tactics as these so fearlessly and properly exposed by Judge Altgeld in his speech here that are constantly opening the eyes of liberal minded republicans to the end toward which the party is drifting. The dominant element of the party has long since assumed an air of bigotry and narrow-mindedness, a position supported entirely by a determination to rule off the face of the earth all who do not absolutely agree with them. These attempts at proscription ought to be exposed and made plain to all liberal minded citizens. There is no room for know-nothingism in these latter days of intelligence and broad-minded citizenship. The republican party and its late off-shoot ought to be relegated to the dark ages, as Judge Altgeld so forcibly declared.