Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-07-22

opinion respecting political conditions,
the possibilities of Democratic har-
mOny, '.and the assurances of the par
tvs restoration to power and the relief
of the people from Republican mail
administration" Villas reply, issued
yesterday, declares, to begin with:
Nothing can be more evident TO one
who takes q broad view of the nature
of public affairs. or of our political
history, than that achievement of good
is only to be won by leaving to the
past the burial of it's own dead, and
pushing on undisturbed to the great
ends open in the future" The re-
mainder of the letter is devoted to the
question of protection, which it makes
the dominant-almost sole-issue.
Hope of People.
Whatever the alignmepts on past
issues" says Senator Villas, the DEM
ocratic party remains today the hope
of the people of this land. On no
other can be placed any just eNpecta-
ton of a rescue from the menacing
conditions that beset us. Anyone
can see, who will see the truth, that
all the combinations of greed, all the
pIotters who work upon our govern
ment TO win gain at the cost of the
porting the party now in power; for
the democratic party they have, as
always, only hostility. 1t must, of
course, be so; because whoever will
sacrifice the public good for private
or class advantage can expect no
countenance from n party which
stands devotedly for the common
welfare of all The overruling need
is of concentration of opinion and of
cooperation in political action by the
people. Under the false and deceit
full name of protection to industry
there has arisen such a system of
combining devices of legislation with
the vices of business management to
obtain mastery of the people as was
never before seen in this or any other
land, the iniquity of which it would |
be hard to find a parallel for, unless |
in oriental countries.
AT the pace the movement has at |
tanned it can be but few years, if it |
go unchecked, before substantially |
the entire range of manufacture. |
mining, trade and transportation
will stand composed of a few mas
ters and millions of employees, the lat |
ter constrained to trade only at what
may be called practically 'company's |
stopes, and all agriculture will be
helplessly ensnared, as it already is |
to no small extent. Liberty in the
pursuit of livelihood will well nigh
have disappeared. for, with the de-
vices of our modern invention, it is
unnecessary longer to manacle the
condemned with ball and chains.
Must Aim at Root.
The people must aim their stroke
at the root of the poisonous tree. 1t
is idle to complain of mere incidents,
to merely attack particular evils, to
begin lawsuits against some special
conspiracy. The victory to be won
which is worth winning is the over
throw of protection.
''The contest cannot be longer post
poned but with the utmost peril to
the rights of our countrymen. Though
master now, protection knows its
danger, and is vigilant to secure ev-
cry element of strength, every point
of vantage and, as ever, on both
sides of the field. 1t is making new
alliances, controlling more indus
tries, increasing its political power.
How arrogantly it has but just de-
filed the appeal of national kindness
and justice, bound, by the law of its
self-preservation. to stand by every
confederate in whatever enactment
1T is a painful record we have
written on the pages of three years
past, for Americans who look TO WASH
ington, Jefferson, Madison, the Adj
amses and their compiers of the dec
laration and the constitution, for the
rule of national conduct that should
enlighten the world with the love and
truth of liberty. And that same
must yet be wiped off by future
treatment of the unhappy Filipinos
according to the principles we have
inherited, or, so surely as justice