Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-01-09

I 46CSliOA IL DSSlC anu CGntIdl IL Is the
mother of a whole brood of evils. The
financial SPECTATORS of the east of Eu-
rope want the absolute power TO control
| average prices. Therefore they want
silver and greenbacks wiped out. so as
| 10 make everything rest on gold-this
| they can easily corner-then with a
| monopoly of issuing paper money they
| can concentrate everything into few
hands. a few gigantic banks can then
| control. When it suits their speculative
purposes they can expand and raise
prices. and then contract and lower
prices. and thus catch the country go
ing and coming These great and I'M
scrupulous interests always move Sc
cretly ard in the dark. They bridge
every chasn with a bride and catch the
political highwayman with an official
uniform. The gold standard has never
drawn an honest breath nor taken an
honest step in this country. and its
success SO far shows the venality and
the apostacy of American politicians.
FearfuI,y Sad Facts.
What about Is to /? Well. my
friends. ii is not in our power to change
this; it is impossible to get anything
along any other line. Change the ratio
and the whole case dissolves. To be
sure. theoretically this is not so. but
we have to deal with fearfu!!y sad facts.
For twenty years both Of the great par
ties denounced the gold standard and
demanded the free coinage of silver at
the old ratio. II looked as if the ques-
ton would be settled in week. but
instead the gold standard got more
firmly seated in the saddle. How? BY
corruptly controlling the government
ard manipulating congress Open the
question of ratio and you viii get no
action in a century. To drop the ratio
is to betray the cause. We are for
the old ratio because it is right. be-
cause it will undo a great crime. be-
cause it viii make prosperity possible.
because We cannot succeed in any other
way, and because the suggestions for
a change come only from the enemy.
This is an age of concentration in all
things. and the formation of private
in particular. Competition
has been wiped out. In harmony with
the law as it has stood for centuries we
have denounced this, but to no purpose;
we have legislated against il. but in
vain. When they could not defeat leg
islation by bribery they went before
some subservient federal judge and had
/ declared unconstitutional. Our rem
edy has failed. Private monopoly is
as injurious and as much of a crime
IS ever. and we cannot stop its birth;
we must change our tactics and con-
vert private monpolies into public mo-
1opOlies. Give the whole public the
benefits Of the monpolies instead of a
few individuals. Let the government
axe them. This is not state socialism,
t is simply protecting the people, and |
therefore is democracy in its broadest |
sense. The European people fight So
'ialism, but get the greatest benefit |
rom collective ownership.
Fight for Existence.
There seems to be no other way to |
protect the public, and it involves our |
cry existence as party. The Demo-
ratio party must always stand for the |
treat masses or else have no mission.
rhe Republican party stands for pri-
ate monopolies and rotteness, and the
nonopolies Will always support it and
ry to crush US. It is a fight not only
or humanity but for our very exist
nee.
We are in a crisis. The liberties of
mighty people are at stake. There
5 no neutral ground; trimming and
rading can no longer be tolerated. The
'orld demands earnestness and candor.
do not believe in the black flag; give
very honorable enemy quarters. But
re have a sacred black motto which we
I
Woe unto him who trifles with the
.merican democracy Grover Cleve-
md is dead. and he left no friends to
HON to send the obituary notices.
cores of wabbling statesmen are to-
ay looking through the fence into the
raveyard for a burial place, because
hey were hit by the wrath of a de-
eived people. Each age furnishes a
-eapon for the people. The weapon
IT this age is initiative and Referen-
UNI. Through it we can restore demo-
'acy
Then fill our people with the spirit
Andrew Jackson and the corruption
Hamiltonism as well as the hypoc-
hey of McKinleyism will no longer
lreaten or disgrace our land"
Will Wait for a Change in the Senate.
Washington, Jan. 9. - McCleary, of
Minnesota. was asked: viii any eff
)rt be made at this session to secure
)nsideration in the house of any COM
rehensive measure of currency re-
,rm?'' Speaking for myself, and not
ssuming to speak for the committee"
answered McCleary, II should say that
is unlikely that any attempt will be
ade in that direction so long as the |
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