Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-08-02
Strikes Are Many.

The increase in the number of
strikes in the United States, the enOr-
nifty of the losses to labor, capital and
TO the nation, and the general distress
accompanying these strikes, do not in
dictate that degree of prosperity"
| which Roosevelt boasts the republican
party has given the land and all the
people therein. True. there has been
prosperity in the United States. No
great nation like this one with patri-
otto people such as this nation has, can
be held back. II will progress more
or less. and therefore ii is not Ques-
ton whether or not the nation will be
prosperous. The question is-hOw
prosperous will the nation be? Even
Roosevelt. Wall street and the republi-
can party could not prevent the pros
perity of the United States with its
millions of prosperous, hard working
patriotic, MISUNDERSTANDING people. But
the idea-shall the degree of pros
perity be small or great?
In the election this fall the people
are to decide which party will assist
more in cooperating with the people
in advancing the nation and increasing
the volume of prosperity. Prosperity
of the nation depends upon the pros
perity of all the people. 1t means the
prosperity of the tiller of the soil, the
bench worker. the shopman, the miner,
the merchant and all honest men who
live by honest labor and honest means.
The democratic party seeks to aid
these people in prosperity, and at the
same time to cooperate with capital i'll
securing a reasonable share of pros
perity. The republican party is con-
tent with making capital prosperous,
and when Roosevelt says prosperity he
means the swelling of corporate
wealth and power.
Hence these many strikes. The
workmen are not contented. They re-
alize that they are in measure being
Disseminated against, and that they
do not get anywhere near reasonable
reward or remuneration for the honest
application of their earning power
labor
There is the great strike of the cot
ton operatives. the strike of packing
house employees throughout the cOun-
try, threatened strike of $4,000 an
thracite coal miners. the district min
ers' strike at Joe Letters mines in
southern Illinois. and number of 9th
er smaller strikes.
This indicates that labor is restless
and dissatisfied We do not wish to be
understood as cOntending that every
strike is just or that because men
strike il necessarily follows that they
are not being reasonably remunerated
or that they have been unfairly dealt
with. but there is no question that Ia
Dor is unfairly treated when the dis
content is so general as il is today.
Labor is not enjoying the prosperity
that Roosevelt boasts. 1t is capital
that enjoys the prosperity that Roose-
welt boasts. 1t is capital that enjoys
the prosperity and the more it enjoys
the more it grabs. Hence does The
Argus contend that the party
in power should be more democratic
and that the government be less pluto
cratic. There is a conspicuous ele-
ment of plutocracy in the government
the republican party is carrying out
and wishes to perpetrate at the
polls in November. and it is therefore
most essential at this time in the in
terests of all the people that the
democratic party be victorious. as its
candidates and platform are more lib
eral with the people and more closely
identified with the interests of the peo-
pie. The prosperity of the people is
the prosperity of the nation and all
that is therein.