The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-11-09
Ghe 9alailg AAtens.


! AS'iiNiouSu II SAii oSS'h" f-S~'f
And is there any excuse forpublic journals
which, as Burke said, are a part OF the
reading OF the Tar greater number, II they
do not instruct people who are thus nlsled
in the few main axioms OF political econ
omy, so that they shall not be the victims
of their own illusions, nor the prey of the
demagogues who tell them that tax at
the custim house can do aught but take
| from them or that more currency prom
lses to pay is more wealth to redeem our
promises
That was an elevated thought of Gov,
| Tilden which some ct the caumnies OF the
campaign elected trom the cousisten
rounded and inpeccable record of his well
spent life; Every personal power, like
every public power is a trust. 1t IS tor
the benefit of mankind Surely then the
unchallenged power of the public press,
| IA power So great as to haye been called
! irresponsible by critics who have not felt
the completely Of our social system nor the
! checking and the Limitations under which
| the most absolute power works its work, Is
trust which can nowh re benefit man
kind so much as here and now. For here
and now it may rescue the Republic from
the final and fatal consequences which new
or for thousand years Of the history OF
civilized or halt.civilized nations have yet
once failed to betall that nation which ever
began to dilute its currency with paper
promises to pay coin not redeemable at the
will of the holder
The demag"gue who seeks power by
feeding fat the foolish hopes Of ignorant
classes every man Of whom has vote that
may reward him, here as always will foster
the delusions which he shares. But its
power the press has, and its power is
trust, and is there better use of it than
to plant in uuinstructed and busy minds
the seeds of that knowledge OF public or po-
litical economy, as easy as the three RS,
which shall protect them from becoming
the prey of protective tariff contrivers and
the spoil of the fools of initiation, which
shall protect from the fate of every other
so-afficted nation.
The people are the source OF power in
this Democratic republic, That is a com
monplace upon the stump, but it is com
monplace which has this momentous con
sequence, that the enlightenment OF the
people is the first matter, and the selection
of their public servants the second. The
latter is essential in it's due place and time,
like the third of November Just past, but
the first essential is what service shall
be required of public servants. The tariff
will be reformed when the people demand
it. The currency will be restored to con
v rtibi y with coin when the people re
qulre it Of their representatives. 1t cannot
be done against the will OF the people even
though it be for the peoples good, In the
Golden Cbevalier treaty Napoleon iii.
gave that to the people of France, overrid
ing their will, of which they now know by ex /
perience the value But revenue tariff
and a reformed currency will never be i'm
posed upon the people by Congress against
their will but only in accordance with their
will. SO that is it not, now and for two
years to come, higher function of the
public press and more benefcent use of
it's exceeding power, to enlighten the PEG |
pie upon their gravest needs and against
their most insidious illusions, than to be
selecting the successor Of President Graf.
N. T. World