Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-07-12

ldli. lheN liiuc Its )idtlOTln anu
named its candidates. and the party
of Sumner, of Seward and of Lincoln.
became the party of Marcus A. Han
ma" He vigorously arraigned the
platform and the principles of the re-
publican party, and spoke at length
of the vicious and corrupt legislation
of the last republican general assem-
bly,.
The democracy of Illinois, proud
of its record in the past, has every
reason to be hopeful of the future.
Though our state was the center of
assault in 90 by the host of monop-
oily, yet the vote for Bryan was nearly
1900 greater than the vote for
Cleveland in '92, when the latter car
ried the state by more than $4,000.
The extraordinary vote for Mckinley
in Illinois cannot reasonably be ac-
counted for except on the ground of
stupen1ous fraud. But republicanism
in Illinois is on the decline and de-
mocracy advancing as never before.
The mighty contrast between the adj
miuistrations of Gov. Tanner and ex-
Gov. Altgeld alone is bringing thous-
ands Of honest, thoughtful republic
cans into the democratic fold"
Patriotic Reference to the War.
As to the war, Chairman Prentiss
made this eloquent and patriotic ref
erence: For the first time within
the memory of most of us our coun-
try is engaged in foreign war.
Though long ago and from the first,
democrats took the lead in advocat-
ing the cause of Cuba in the halls of
congress and elsewhere. and finally a
united democracy in congress. aided
by a few liberty-loving republicans.
compelled Intervention by unwilling
hands in behalf of the outraged and
Starving Cubans. And although the
first American hosd to be shed in the
glorious cause was the blood of a
democrat, and although the heroes OF
the war on the American side thus
far on land and sea have been, most
of them, democrats, still this is not a
democratic war, nor is it republican
war. No political party can claim
the glory of it and have the claim al
lowed. 1t is war waged by
the American people in the
noblest of all causes - the
cause of humanity. Democrats
and republicans bear no party name
in the conduct of this war. Together
as Americans they will wage it to a
glorious end. As Americans we viii
bear and follow the stars and stripe.
to the islands of the sea. As Ameri
cans we will, if need be, lear anc
follow the flag across the Atlanti,
and plant it on the soil of Spain itself
Republicans of Illinois and of the ma
ton, the democrats of Illinois and o
the nation greet you and say to yol
that in the conduct of this war with
Spain William Mckinley is no NOR
your president than ours. He is tn,
commander in chief of the army an,
navy of the United States. and a
such the democrats of Illinor
and the nation will be as Iowa
to him as they would i
William Jennings BRYAN wer
in his place. For the same rea
son that we wage this war. the caus
OF humanity, we hope and pray tina
it may speedily come to an end. Bu
it must not end until Cuba is free an,
, the armies and navies of Spain, ant
Spanish oppression and Spanish rul
shall have departed forever from tn
!. western hemisphere. We wage n
war for conquest. Our flag shal
mean liberty. independence to the op
, pressed, wherever it may go. l hav
not the gin of prophecy, but methink
l see the march of destiny. Th
time seems not far off when the star
and stripes shall float in peace owe
both Cuba and Porto Rico. and on
2 flag will be their flag. and it will h
cherished there as here as the embler
! of liberty, peace Justice an
progress. But while we wage fol
eign war in behalf of human libert
we must not forget the wronged an
oppressed at home. We must nc
forget that oppressors are not a
Spaniards, and that men. women an
children go hungry and naked i
other lands than Cuba. We must +,
member, too. that chiefest among til
many crimes against Cuba have bee
and are the spoliations of the ia
gatherer and her financial bondap,
Her deliverance from the Spaniard
certain. but when he shall be forev,
/ driven from the island. the hardest
almost hopeless task. will be to kee
I her people free from eternal vassalae
to foreign iinanciers and bond synd
Gates
l Then the committee announced IL
new state central committee. whiC
! includes the following: Eighth di
, trict, ID. l. Hogan, Kane count