Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-02-29
Illinois Anarchist Gov, rnOr.

New York sun.
Governor Joseph w. Fifer, of Illinois,
better known among the people who for
some inscrutsble reason made him COVER
nor, as Private Joe Fifer, despairs of the
republic. This despair fills us with alarm,
not for the republic, bat for Private Joe.
Last Friday he talked to convention of
the farmers of the Eighth Illinois con-
gress district at Joliet talk full of dire
full prophecy. If the reports OF his
speech are true, it was the most peculiar
address ever delivered by the governor of
an American state. will we lose"
asked Private Joe, whose immensely of
heart has been supposed TO atone for his
future blindness as to shall and will,
will we lose our republican form of gov
eminent and take on a stranger ore?"
Hear the melancholy answer which Pri-
vste Joe made to his melancholy gues-
ton:
"Just so certainly as stand here this
government will fall Ali tends to wealth,
wealth to luxury. luxury to weakness and
weakness TO lapse"
But 2. J. has remedy fer the lapsus
of wealth into luxury, luxury lapsed into
weakness, and weakness lspsed into
lapse:
What are the safeguards? l have
remedy. 1t is the educational and land
system and should not be tied up over
tive generations
1t is difficult to tie up anything in th is
country for more than two generations,
and so far as the educational system is
concerned, that seems to be as open as P.
Us speech aperture. But let US hear
him pour out his honest soul among the
Eighth district farmers:
Keep the boys on the farm; make il
attractive. How l love to get down
among the Masses breathe the fresh air,
and feel the honest pulse of the people.
sometimes get disheartened in the
whirlwind of criticism of official life. but
when / get down among the honest
masses-God bless them-I take courage
and hope for our country and its institu-
tiOns.
"Oh, how hate political life, and long
to be with the people. As Lincoln said
you can fool some of the people all tn
time, you can fool all of them some o.
the time, but you can't fool all of them
all the time.
"a war between religion and irreligioI
is approaching, not of bullets, but o.
ideas.
Hold fast to your civil and religious
liberties; guard well your moral growth
and if you are strong and courageous, thu
battle will be won; if not. then some Glib
bon will write the decline and fall of thi
republic"
This is delightful. We are not So
much impressed with the wars and ruiI
which Private Joe sees coming as will
his immense condescenslon in steppin!
from the dais of intellectual and politica
superiority and getting down ameng tn
masses, and feeling the honest pulse o
the people. He will find that the PEG
Piles pulse keeps more temperate musi
than his own. For he, poor fellow. j
not only worn out with worrying owe
the ruin of the republic, but he hates pc
litcal life and longs to be among the peo
pie once again. On account of the i'm
pending crisis. however, he is working
his brain to the bone in the endesyor t,
be nominated for governor, and to en-
dure four years more of hatred and dis
hesrtening political life.
For his own sake the people OF lllinoi
should take pity on poor old Joe Fife
and let him breathe the fresh air and fee
their honest pulse once more. A geniu
like his ought not to be hidden away i
Springfield. Send him to the fair ali
charge an admission fee, and label biz
Specimen of an Illinois Anarchist Gov
ernor."