The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-07-09
The Dangers of the Hour are
not the Fault of the Struc-
ture of our Government.
THEY ARE THE FAULT OF
THE PEOPLE IN NEG
LECTING THEIR
DUTIES.
THE OWNERSHIP OF RAILROADS SHOULD
BE SEPARATED FROM THE BUsI-
NESS OF TRANSPORTATION.
Continued from yesterday.

ficient influence of public opinion upon the
different departments of its administration,
and while this complaint has some tounda-
ton, when it is directed to the actual con
difion of the federal government it may
be fairly assumed that il can be demon
strated that the national government would
now be sustained by the people in the ex- |
ercise of much larger powers than any al |
ministration in its history has ever chosen |
10 exercise. And this brings me to the
point to which | wish to direct your atten- !
ton that none of the evils of which the
people of the United States, or to narrow
the field somewhat, of which the people of
the State Of Illinois complain, are tracea
bic TO any error in the theory Of the gov
eminent nor 10 any defect in the dlstribu-
ton of its powers or the details of its or
ganization. By government | mean our
whole system, including the federal, the
State aud the municipal organizations, and
| maintain then, that ii to-day all Is not
well with the people-if the lives and lib
erty ard property are not secure--lf their
labor is not well rewarded, or if they are
burdened or oppressed, 1t is not the fault
Of your political organizations, and If any
evils exist which political institutions can
be employed to correct, the remedy is in
your own hands
You will say that 1t is not well with the
people of the State of Illinois, and you will
point me TO the enormous burdens 10 which
you are subjected ia the form Of taxes, tn
the depressed condition of your agricul
ture, your commerce and trade, 10 the eX
travagance and faithlessness Of public func
tionaries, 10 the oppressive abuses to
which you are subjected by the carrying
interests, and of the signs of greed and
corruption that abound on every hand.
Will You pardon me, ladies and gentle
men, for telling you that every evil and
abuse which ! have named, and all of the
same classes that can be mentioned are
traeoable 10 our own acts, aud. in short,
to ourselves have said and | repent il
again, that under our system oi goveru-
ment the people may be, ~ they ars NOT
the protects of their own libert;ss aud
the defenders of their own rights, and il IL
for them, at all times, 10 determine for
themselves how much of oppression and
wrong and abuse they will endure, aud il
Is for them 10 Judge of the measures of re-
dress they will employ.
Let Us analyLe the grievances | have
suggested as those which now excite pub
lie attention, aud let Us trace them TO Their
source, and fix, If we can, the proper res
possibility OF their existence
The people justly complain of the enor
nous burdens to which their industry i,
subjected, either in the form Of taxes i'm.
posed by our many-sided government. or
by the taithlessness and greed Of the agents
selected 10 execute the functions of gov
eminent, or in their grasping exactionS OF
the carrying interest | have here stated
these abuses in another order, and group.
Ing them together, for they are all alike in
their origin, and operate alike and togeth-
err, they do, in fact, eat out the substance
OF our industrious, enterprising, and other.
wise prosperous people.
The government e the United States.
during the year which will end on the 30th
day Of June, 1874, will require S3OS, 223
2j6 %, and that sum will be- paid by the
people Of the United States OF course il
Is impossible 10 tell who will pay the larg
est proportion of that enormous sum, but
when the share Of the people of the State
9i ilhnol- Is ulsch"rF-,l !. and to that is adj
ded the amount ct taxor .imposed upon
them tor State, county and Local f,,rnnses
it is easy TO see that the proportion Of eaOl,
And To illustrate the relative amount oil
these burdens few comparisons may be
made The estimated cost of the military
establishment of the United States for IN,
year ending June, Both, 1873, is So. SgI
SI+ ~, while the whole wheat production
ct the State of Illinois for the year 1871
was 2J,2l6,OO0 bushels and it, val
ne was estimated at $2g,7j4, $50.
and the naval establishment will.
1t is estimated, cost S2O,I54,
DO 10. Our red brethren on the plains
must have S5,7OO,9Ij %, something more
than double the annual cost of maintaining
the government of Illinois, with all its es
adjustments for its helpless classes and
congress, without the back salary additions,
will cost us 81, 1921 40, and the execu.
tive department Sl7, l2S, pol 50, and the
judiciary S3,5S7 $3.50.
IL Is unnecessary 10 say more 10 show
the extrataVant prohigacy Of the expense.
OF the federal government. | am not A..
sailing any party, for when plans for de
plotting the treasury are organized, all DO.
litical parties participate We know that
a congress that eXpends nearly three mil
lions for its own expenses is wastetul, il
not dishonest We know no president ever
earned $4,000 per annum. and we know
that military establishment. which cost,
nearly S33, 600 Is an unmitigated evil.
not tO be endured. In your state and
county and city governments there is the
same tendency Ia eXtrayagrance and waste.
and what is more dangerous and insulting
70 the people is the prctension tina; official
life So eeyates the officer above the people
who pay him that he must be provided
with the means to live in q style becoming
his advanced position.
A senator from Wisconsin said i'm n
speech 10 a portion Of his constituents, de
:tuding his vote tor the salary bill "A
member of Congress ought to have the
meas ot living like gentleman, and his
nsolent statement, which ignores the rule
OF honesty and justice which dictates that
a member Of congress, ike all other per
sons, should receive what they earn and no
more, passes without any serious or gene
raj condeD 4Ati0n. 1t does, indeed, only
illustrate the theory Of modern political
life, that office-seekiDg and office holding
are elevated professions which entitle the
successful 10 wealth and TO the means of
self.indulgence, while the people can only
claim SO much Of the time Of the Office.
holder az he car spare from Che needful
attention to his interests, or the pursuit of
his own pleasure.
Aud, is II In the power of the people TO
lind and apply correction 10 these abuses?
Mr. Carpenter thinks the people might
fad cheaper men by advertising for them,
instead OF the present method Of election.
and there are many reasons for adopting
his suggestions The ignorance Of hon
est men, as much as ignorance is TO be
deplored, would not be as mischievous as
the vanity aud dishonesty Of the men who
so persistently advertise themselves. But
il will be found that the people can always
find the qualities they demand, and the
race OF humbugs and braggarts will disap.
pear from public life when the people n,
longer prefer them in their service.
But is It CONSTANT with your manhood
and self-respect % longer endure the af,
tectations and pretonecs Of the class who
live upon your labor, succeeding by shall
low arts that ought 10 deceive none but
children, and are you fixed and wedded
10 tho dQlnaiOna Of epnfttr;as ~ r.. -