The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-09-16

come citizens. Our nat on cannot with
safety admit such a race of people. II
would be reprehensible TO take into the
human stomach as food. anything that
will not digest. assimilate aud make
blood. So with the body polite. it can
not afford TO permit class of people to
come into it, who will not cheerfully
accept its conditions OF citizenship, and
abide by It's laws and customs.
| may be told that our wide spread
country with its vast area of arabic aud
productive soil, affords to the masses
at may be crowded in our cities. Or in
the more densely populated sections of
the country and out of employment. a
field, where with small means a comforts
able home and comparative independence
can be secured True, this has been,
and may be the case now, but this will
not long continue so. Our great unset
tied national dominion is gradually con-
tracing, and in quarter of century,
when our population will have reached
100000, 900, cheap and good agricul>
tural land will be difficult, il not impos-
sible to obtain. The poor man will not
be able then as now to locate, preempt
and buy government lands at nominal
price. If under all the favorable condi-
tions of the present, we fail to prevent
strikes and other labor disturb ances,
what will it be then?
The recent troubles growing out of
the acts of socialists and anarchists, prove
that the generous conduct OF our govern
ment in the past towards those seeking
protection under the broad folds of the
national flag, has been abused. Prompt
and effective measures should be adopted
by the general government to prevent
the ingress of such classes. and by the
several states to put down etfectually all
attempts to dictate to, or by threats to
menace the peace and safety of any citi
zen. The past Indifference of our citi-
zens. and the laxity and inadequacy of
our laws, have made possible the terrible
scenes of bloodshed witnessed not long
since In Haymarket square, in the city
of Chicago.
The rapid growth of cities, and the
present system of governing them is
another great evil. Ia this age of im>
proved and rapid INSTRUMENTATION
large cities increase in population faster
than the rural districts, with their villages
and towns. Fifty years hence. there will
be in all probability in this country a
half score Of cities with a population of
100000 to 100000. and at least a
score more with population OF 100000
to 100000. Fifty years ago, only one
in twenty-five of the people of
this country lived in cities with a
population of over 10000 Not less
than one in six are found in cities of that
size In fifty years it will probably be re :
duced to one in four. 1t is a we'll knowl
fact, that larger cities attract the worst
as well as the best elements OF our pot -
ulaIlon, and they are especially attractive
10 the worst classes of emigrants; these
large cities are becoming more and more
difficult to govern. The government of
all large cities in this country is notorious
ly bad II is the firm conviction of many
OF our wisest and best citizens that the
ONLY thing that will effect cure and give
op large cities good government, is to
curtail the elective franchise Their idea
is, to treat municipality with popu!a-
ton of say $4,000 and over as a corpora
ton, by which, and through which, taxes
are levied and collected, to be expended
for the benefit of all its citizens. The only
persons therefore who have any direct or
real interest in the corporation are the
70 Hanoi ut oil .,la e. In
GERS to manage the affairs of the corpora>
ton, none but tax payers should be per-
mitted TO vote The amount of taxes re-
quired 10 constitute a voter, should be so
small that the comparatively poor man
will not be disfranchised under such a
system. 1t is claimed that no injustice
would be done to any citizen, for the great
principal contended fer by the founders
of this republic for mo taxation without
representation" the refusal of which led
to the war of Independence, would not be
violated Put in force such a law they
say, and all our large cities will he well and
honestly governed, and protection to life
and property will be guaranteed to all.
Another evil is the lax and tardy ad-
mluistration of justice in our courts. es-
pecially in our criminal courts, and the
imperfectious of our jury system. The
Judiciary of the country with few excep-
tons is neither venal nor corrupt, but the
laws regulating our system of jurispru-
dence are 50 faulty aud Inaccurate, that
the obtaining of justice, or the Furnishing
of crime, is slow and uncertain. | need
but refer TO the recent Trial of the anarch
lists in Chicago where it took three weeks
to empanel q jury. So utterly bad is the
sVstem, that intelligent discriminating citi-
zens are seldom secured as jurors.
In this the third epoch in the history of
this republic, there are evils, other than
those, to which | have alluded to, less
prominent perhaps, but not less danger,
Gus, to which would call your attention,
did time permit; but think | have give n
enough to convince any reasonable mind
that We are iAcompassed by evils. social
and political So subtle and indispoStd,
that the welfare. if not the ?ermanency oil
our republic will be endangered, unless a
radical change is effected. Before the late
war, it was generally believed that the
only evils menacing our republic was
slavery, and the rights of secession as held
by number of states. The war destroyed
slavery, and settled the question of the
right of secession forever.
| may be met by the common argument,
that the education of the masses will in
time certainly cure every evil now threat
ening the welfare Of the republic. But
culture untouched by high morality, has
no redseming power. The educated when
indolent, corrupt, and selfish are more
dangerous to society than the illiterate,
The stream is never purer than it's source
and in a republic like ours, the govern
ment is never better than the majority OF
its citizens, for the moral quality of tn,
majority will determine the character o.
the government
am not inclined to be a pessimist MOI
an alacimist, but l am fully convince {
that unless halt is called, aud a radical
change is effected in the social and politi
cal conditions of our country, this govern
ment will not be democracy by the mid
die of the Goth century, The tendency is
CLEARLY and Enthusiastically in the direction