Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-10-17
The Rule of a Clique.

I
ment by 2the political and financial
class wdtht whichlhe,is allied.
Theret is ltoday!no party of thesde-
mocracyGor' of thetrepublic except tthe
Democratic.partyt Judge Parker is'the
one serious candidate for president
who believes Gin Sthe maintenance land
persistence of democratic institutions.
! Mr.. Roosevelt anil Mr.. Watson stand
! for class legislation and class admins
tratiOn, Mr. Watson being Iserious
! candidate because every vote fcaSt for
| him is vote for Mr.. Roosevelt. Every
vote for state communism is therefore
q vote for oligarchic government. The
| only candidate fog the rman who be-
| lieves int the free democracy and IS op-
| posed TO class government of anyIkdnd
is Judge Barker.
There is}no bettertillustration of the
difference between ! the two leading
parties. as wide. aSu-der as the poles,
than that Afforded 10y the twoy state
conventions of New|YoCk The. Repub-
lican state conventions was absolutely
controlled blythe "bosS" Il boss" who
shamelessly confesses@that he puts his
party abOve-the statetby acting as the
party chIeftain whileshe holds the Of
flee of governor.
| rs il is with the state SOFT is with
the nation. The Republican national
convention was controlled by Il die
tator. Itywas not Il free convention of
free men. The indepe ndent governing
citizen must now he looked for else
where than IN the Republican party.
II is feature of ouISpolitical theory
that party CovernmenTireflectsO our pc
| litical principles and our system. The
individual Republican. as the individ-
uaI Democrat, once FlEplpcd to govern
his party. Now the'p1rty's boss gov
ernS the individual. who has no more
voice in the party'S councils than has
| the American citizen who has ,emi-
| grated 10 the Philippines in the GgOv-
eminent of his new, home. and this
Notwithstanding thatHhe still livesiun-
der the flag and under the laws of ICON
gTess.
How wrong were these fOrefathers OF
ours under the present Republicanyphi-
losOphy OF politics when they declared
that they brought with them their
Dirt bright of freedom! The descend
ants of these sturdy lovers of liberty
fare now deprived of the right of trial
by jury and of self government by the
lparty which was formed TO expand hui
man liberty when they emiGrate to the
possessions of tire United States in
Asia
Not only is the Republican partyS
rule of the Philippines autOcratic. but
the citizens of this country at home
are beginning to be ruled without their
IcOnsCnuOr without the consent oftther
Representatives.
Under the partnership which feXists
between Mr.. Roosevelt and theIsenate
Olgarchy, which consists of group
Of senators Of whom Mr.. Fairbanks,
by reason of his nomination for the
vice presidency, IS now the head, this
autocratic power has not only silenced
the national convention and made. it
q mere recording instrument
/ 1t has T@Urped and assumed the
powers Of the general government,
1t determines all questions of finn
Iportance.
1t controls all the unclassified pat
ronaEc in its own interests.
1t dictates our foreign policy.
1t sustains the presidents lawless
acts.
1t compelled the appropriation Of
money for the support of his Illegal
pension order.
1t forbidS the house of representa-
tives to discuss so called measures OF
legislation. which are fast assuming
the nature Of e1icts.
No legislation can be enacted with
out its consent. The duty of raising
revcrule and of expending it has been
l.. q
people where the constitution lodges it.
1t has permitted the president TO use
the navy as he willed in hostility TO a
friendly power. Our relations with
other powers are at its mercy. for it
may plunge US into war at any mo-
ment.
1t is this kind Of a government
which the Republican party has es-
tablished, and 1t maintains it by exer-
CisinC a like control over the party
machinery for making nominations.
Mr.. Roosevelt explains the reason and
admits the fact when he says in his
letter of acceptance that half the peo-
pie OF the country are unfit TO govern.
consequently unfit to participate in
government.
The contrast to this is the contrast
OF democracy TO autocracy. The Dem
ocTatic' conv entions at st. Louis and
Saratoga were the free conventions OF
free men. What bosses there were
were dominated by the opinions and
views OF the delegates and OF the pub
lie sentiment OF the party, expressed
most potently and effectively by
thoughtful leaders and by the voice OF
the free Democrats. who insisted upon
a candidate whose nomination would
appeal to those who desire good gov
eminent for the public and not adroit
management,for the gain OF an individ-
ual or OF few.