Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-11-01

markable, manifesting pretty CT early
| the state of mind of the American
people in the present national stru ggle
for the rescue of the republic.
Even in the face of bad weather and
muddy streets the parade assumed
proportions in keeping with the occa-
sion, and the streets were crowded
with enthusiastic throngs.
At the theatre, where the speaking
took place. every seat was taken and
many left because they could not Sc
cure comfortable standing room.
1t was nearly 9 o'clock when L. j.
Medill called the meeting to order and
introduced as the chairman of the
evening V. M. Banding. That gen.
tlemau, in acknowledging the honor
conferred upon him, took occasion to
refer to the main issue. Imperialism,
he said, has been up for settlement
before. In the days of Washington,
Of Jackson and of Lincoln it was set
tied, and settled right, and in accord
ance with the precedent that has
been laid down we must settle it.
Cheers for AItEeid.
When Ex-Gov. John ?. Altgeld rose
to his feet as the orator OF the even
ing, he was greeted by prolonged
cheering that was renewed again and
again as he attempted to speak. When
he was able to be heard he wasted no
words on preliminaries. This cam
paign, he said, according to repu bill
cans, is to be settled by the full din
ner pail. Now let US see whose full
dinner pail it is. The farmer is sell
ing at the same prices as in 1896,
while he pays from 20 to 100 per cent
more for the necessities of life. All
over the land small factories are closed
by the trusts and thousands of men
are out of employment. Nowhere
has the increase of wages even ap-
preached the increase in the cost of
living. Evidently it is not the dinner
pail of the farmer or the laboring man
that will decide this campaign, but
that of the man who lives by the
sweat of other mems brow5.
Mr.. Altgeld told how trusts are
formed how the main operation in
the formation of a trust consists IN
marking up the price of the product,
and he declared that practically all
the necessities of life are in some
measure controlled by illegal com bin
atoms. While the trusts all support
the administration they are perfectly
impartial and Cypress the members of
all parties alike. The trust is in pol
itics and it is not reasonable to sup
pose it is there for it's own detriment.
Bryan's Clean Record.
While President Mckinley's admin |
istration has favored combinations of |
capital in every way possible it has
never been insinuated that q trust |
could control w. J. Bryan.
MIR. Altgeld said that expansion is |
not an issue. We have pursued pol
icy of expansion ever since the found
ing of our government and will prob |
ably expand still further. But we
have always made our new territory
q part of Us and allowed the people to |
become citizens. Now we are pursu-
ing war of conquest in a distant |
land under the express provision that
the land shall not become the soil of
the United States and that the ten
million people shall be subjects.
America has thrown away the Amer
lean form of government of consent
OF the governed and has stepped into
Spain's shoes to administer SPANS
own form of government. The flag
that formerly stood for justice, equal
ity and free government now stands
for what the fag of Spain stood for.
In the matter of cost the Philippine
war far exceeds the estimates The
increase of appropriations since it was
started amounts to between three ard
four million dollars per year. Judge
Altgeld gave some striking figures to
show what that sum of money would
do If devoted to the arts of peace.
He alse demonstrated that the burden
of the increased taxation falls upon
the consumers of the necessaries of
life.
Looking for Trouble.
IN tho nrineipIe which we are fol-