Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-10-04
CHILLY CULLOM.
The Illinois IcicIe to Appear
Tonight.
HE'S THE MAN WE'RE AFTER.

Some of the Acts for Which He 10 Distin
guished rs Statesman The Truck Store
Bill and the Interstate Commerce Cor
pOration Benefit.
This is the day of republican effort,
the occasion to which the party has
directed its every effort to make it
the grand pyrotechnic, spectacular
event OF the campaign. Shelby M.
Cullom, cold. unapproachable Shell
by, whose chief stock in trade is to
attempt to display a characteristic
nature never intended he should
humor-is to be the bright particu-
lar star, with Isaac NJ. Clements and
Z. 5. Post as the lesser luminaries.
The weather is characteristic of the
| attraction, but nevertheless the To-
cal contingent of the party will I'M
| cork its enthusiasm for all it is
worth tonight, and do its best at
making good showing. Shelby and
his associates are to speak at Har-
per's theatre tonight, and full house
is guaranteed.
Shelby's Claim to Fame.
In view of the fact that the Illinois
senator lays claim to fame as one of
the country's most distinguished
statesmen, even to aspire to the
| presidency, it will be interesting to
review some of his most distin-
guished public services. His great
argument throughout the state, il
will be remembered, is that he is the
steadfast friend of the workingmen,
the standard of whose wages he has
the audacity to state, he has stead
lastly striven for, and hence the i'm
portance of his first public service in
the state of Illinois in their behalf.
This was when as governor of Hi
nois he vetoed the bill to abolish the
Ubiquitous truck store' system.
which then prevailed in the coal
mines and among other industries
where its practice was made possible.
1t was during the session of the leg
islature of 1883 that popular at
tention was directed to the gross
abuses that had grown up under the
truck store" system and the law to
correct these abuses was enacted in
obedience to a popular demand whose
meaning was too plain to be ignored
by even the most calloused. Under
the truck store system between 3O,-
600 and so, 900 miners and workers in
other industrial lines became. with
their families, virtual slaves. 1t was
the practice of the corporations to
pay employees in supplies from the
'.company's store" and to such a
nicely was the business carried on
and prices fixed that men worked
month after month and year after
year without ever seeing one dollar
in money. Every dollar of their
company" in the payment of sup
plies. and as time went on the greed
of the men in power increased to such
an extent that the merchandise
forced upon the working people was
marked up to the extreme limit of a
cut throat standard.
This resulted in the condition of
the workingmen and their families
becoming unbearable. The matter
was brought before the Legislature
through the agency of labor organ.
ization. and ian act to protect labor
ers, miners, mechanics and mer.
chants" was introduced. 1t passed
the house by q vote of 107 for to 2
against. The senate passed the
measure by a vote of % yeas and IL
nays. 1t went to the governor for
approval May p. 1879. and on May
81. four days after the passage of the
bill. the general assembly ad journed
sine die. Four days later. June 4,
the governor filed the bill to the sec.
rotary of state with his veto.
Service to the Railroads.
The one thing in which he may be
said to have taken part in nationa
legislation was to help pass the inter
state commerce bill, which for two
l. L.