Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-09-28

within the Folds Of Old Glory-waviug
the Flag with One Hand and laundering
with the Other Is Altogether Too Com
mon In This Country.
Chicago. Sept. IS, 1S96.-[Special]-
The Chicago gold bug papers Announce
that movement is on foot to decorate
the streets with American flags and
bunting in honor of the honest money
campaign"
Imitation is the sincerest flattery.
The nag adjunct to the gold standard
cause had its start one afternoon in
the New York Stock Exchange. The
Jealous patriots and patrons Of Amer
lean labor and industry VINO compose
this exchange. had finished q hard
days work. They had hammered down
several industrial stocks on encourage
Mckinley news. and were feeling good.
n leading gold broker was seized with
an inspiration. Pinning a Mckinley
badge to his breast. he produced an
American flag and marched around
the hall. Other stock brokers and
money lenders followed him The press
accounts declared that scores of WE'LL
known Democratic stock brokers tore
Bryan badges from their breasts and
Joined in the parade"
This was the inception of the flag
movement in behalf of honest money.
1t must have been an inspiring sight.
Future generations will shed tears
when they read how Mr.. Ickleheimer.
of the weli-known firm of Heidelhach
lckleheimer * Co. (maintainers of the
national credit. dashed his Bryan but
ton on the floor and declared for Nc
kinley. honesty, sound money and for
his beloved country
Bluff, old Ben johnson once said:
Patriotism is the last refuge of q
scoundrel."
modern philosopher declared that
Waving the flag with one hand. and
plundering the pockets of the people
with the other, is a form of patriotism
which is becoming altogether too COM
mon in this country"
The honest money men of Chicago
should lose no time in spanning the
downtown streets with flags. Next to
honest assessments the Chicago mill
ionaire loves honest money
Let us throw little light i'm on these
honest money" citizens who are about
to slop over with patriotism. You will
get no information concerning them
by reading the Chicago papers. Here
are Il few facts about Chicago mill
ionaires VINO are now raising a cor
ruption fund to insure the triumph Of
honest money:
Without an exception they are tax
dodgers.
By systematic bribery, perjury and
fraud they evade the payment of their
taxes and throw the burden of main
tanning government On the small prop
erty holders and the working classes.
BY reason Of these crimes ON the part
OF Chicago honest money million
aires. the city treasury is bank
rupt, the streets are unpaved, and
unswept, public school facilities are
lacking, and the various municipal de-
pzrtments are the laughing stock of
other cities and a disgrace to Chicago.
Every tax dodger in Chicago is for
Mckinley, honest money and a perma-
nent gold standard.
They should raise the flags at once.
1t will not be the first time the folds Of
Old Glory have shielded public PUN
derers.
In 1872, after the great fire had
swept out of existence the larger part
OF the city. the assessed valuation of
Chicago was s347 .OOo,O The popula-
ton was less than 400, 900.
Today. twenty-four years later. with
a population of not less than LOO. 900,
Chicago property is assessed at $751;
100000. Look back at those figures of
1877. What do you think of it? Ac-
cording to the sworn statements of
Chicago property owners. the city is
worth 800. 600 less today than it was
twenty-four years ago. Ii may be that
this is on account of the crime of 1873.
II so, it is a bad showing for the gold
standard
Property in the down town district
which recently sold for $4,000 is
scheduled and assessed at $685. Great
railroad corporations owning city real
estate and property worth $4,000. 600
are assessed at 5000, 900. One piece of
property-a sixteen story building
worth $3.50, 900, pays taxes on $4,000.
There are some honest mopey peo-
pie for you. They are going to drape
their buildings with flags and proclaim
to the open-mouthed world their hon
esty, purity and patriotism. They are
not in favor of reputation. They de-
mand that the people of the United
States shall pay their debts. They in
sist that every American dollar shafl
be just as good as any other American
dollar-unless il is invested in their
buildings. They are the guardians OF
the public morals: the keepers of the
public conscience.
Who has to pay the taxes which
these millionaires eyade? The farmer.
Of Illinois. His farm is assessed a,
nearly its full value. What is left after
the Chicago board Of trade has alb
sorbed its share Of plumber. is taken
by the tax collector and poured into
the public treasury. to be expended In
protecting the property Of Chicago's
honest money patriots.
Waving a flag with one hand and