The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-10-16

democratic privileges to these same shrewd
and inscriptions men. Railway CORPORA
tons have been chartered and permitted
to tax the travel and transportation of the
country in their own discretion, and thus
hold in their hands the fate of the whole
grain producing northwest. Banking cor
porations have been instituted and the cur
rency Of the country loaned them without
interest as another engine for drawing ten
per cent. from the people. A tariff that
makes the consumer pay double price for
his clothing, is made, not in the interest Of
the revenue, but to swell the fortunes Of
wealthy manufacturers. Patent rights are
granted and renewed, that give the power
to charge the consumer four and five times
the cost of production.
SUCH LEGISLATION is POSSIBLE
because this half of our population en-
gagged in agriculture, this fifth Of our pop.
lation engaged in manufacturing and me
chanical industries, and this ninety pei
cent Of persons engaged in industrial pur
suits, have been persuaded to elect mer
who, neither by occupation. interest OF
sympathy, were true representatives The
congress of the United States, where the
three quarters of our producing popuia'
ton imperatively needs an adequate rep
resentation, actually has in it today only 20
farmers and planters, and 10 members
that may be considered as members OF tne
other industrial classes OF the country.
But it has 22s lawyers, 80 merchants, and
II bankers. Over so of its members are
renorted to be stockholders or directors IN
National banks. A large number Of them
are attorneys. stockholders, or directors st
railway corporations. Although in no
sense representatives of the people, they
have, by party manipulation, obtained po.
sitions that they have used, not for the
good of the nation, but to benefit private
persons and corporations. Our legislatures
only repeat the same story.
THIS LEGISLATION MUST BE REVERSED.
The remedy is plain. The people OF
this country must elect men who are the
representatives of the people and not the
attorneys or other servants of corporations
We must vote for men who are known to
have the industrial interests of the country
at heart. We must vote for men who will
make the legislation of this State and Ma
ton conform to the law of equal rights
and equal opportunity, laid down in the
Declaration of Independence, the great
charter of our National liberties. In the
words of Lincoln: Our cause must bt
entrusted to and conduced by its own un
doubted friends, whose hands are free
whose hearts are in the work.
The gentlemen nominated by the lnde
/ pendent Reform organization in this con
gressional district, for Congress, for thu
Legislature, and for County Officers are.iI
, full sympathy with our organization. They
are all Independent men, and their nomi
$ nation shows the consistent working o.
our organization They can all be elected
if the industrial classes do their whole
f duty. We ask you to lend your influence
and vote to accomplish SO desirable a re
} suit
SAMUEL EDWARDS, Princeton, Bureau Co
JOHN NJ. MORGAN, Galva, Henry Go.
WIN. N. KENNEDY, Dixon, Lee 20.
ROBERT LEIGH, Florid, Putnam Co..
} SAMUEL r. PORTER, Moline, Rock lslant
: Co. Independent Reform Committee.