Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-01-07
Centralized Wealth.

THE peace OF tyrannous terror. the
peace of craven weakness. the peace Of
Injustice. alr OF these should be shun-
| ned - =
The above quotation from the recent
message OF President Roosevelt has a
striking applicability to existing do
nestle conditions. The American peo-
pie are brought face TO face at the pres
ent time with perils OF a more porten-
tous character than any that have con-
fronted them OF their predecessors since
the formation OF the government, -
says the Boston Herald.
The last quarter OF IA century has
witnessed the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT in the
United States of individual and cor
porate wealth i'm a way and TO a de-
gree that would have been deemed i'm
possible by those who were living and
thinking factors in this country during
the administration of President Lin
coin. The power I'm this country pos
sessed 10y centralized wealth, in finance.
In manufacture. In commerce. I'm poll
tics and in society, If not dominating
force, Is fast approaching such a con-
dition.
Another twenty-five years Of unim-
peded development and the industries.
using that word in its broadcast sense.
and with these the political control Of
the country, viii rest IN the hands OF
small group OF indiv iduals, who. when
they agree smong themselves. as self
interest Will compel them 10, viii die
tate the policies Of state and national
~ I4 nd
veIopments or practically all indus
trial enterprises. The United States or
America would continue te be repub-
lie i'm name. just as the republic OF
Rome maintained it's name for centu-
ries after every vestige OF free govern
ment had been squeezed out Of it 10y
long succession Of imperial rulers.
The only way In which this danger
can be met and overcome Is by vigor-
ously facing and opposing IT. IL we
are To maintain. as the president says.
1.-THE peace OF tyrannous terror. the
peace OF craven weakness. the peace of
injustice" then. indeed. we are lost.
We now have as the executive head Of
our government man OF militant
mind. one who almost processes de-
light in combat. who extols heroisIn rs
perhaps the highest of virtues. His
recent message rings almost as call
to arms when questions OF foreign
policy are considered. But surely we
have arrived at a period in the world
advancement when bravery exhibits
itself i'm other forms than in physical
combat. The nurse who sacrifices her
life In caring for and curing plague
stricken sufferers shows certainly as
much heroism as the man who is shot
down while scaling the breastwork OF
the enemy. True courage consists In
the performance Of many other actions
besides those which take place accom-
panied by the music OF brass bands and
the display Of flags or uniforms.
The greatest evils tina confront this
country are those which are represent
ed by potent forces controlled by COM
handing personalities. TO those who
will fall down and worship these are
offered the kingdoms OF the earth and
all that they contain; to those who
have leadership and power, and who op-
pose these forces. defeat and discredjt
are threatened. And yet. unless in
some way this battle against concen-
trated wealth can be fought and won.
the future OF our nation Is dark indeed.
The peace Of injustice" would con-
sist in making friends with those rep
resenting the mammon of unrighteous-
ness: the peace OF tyrannous terror
would be in not daring TO strike at
these great and growing evils; the
peace OF craven weakness" would be In
tolerating these constantly angmenting
abuses because one feared that he did
not possess the requisite strength to
combat them and foresaw greater COM
fort I'm easy federation.
President Roosevelt afirms that he
wishes to combat evil. although II must
be admitted that he sees IL much more
at distant places. thousands Of
miles across the seas. than I'm this coun
try and closely around him ut Wash
ington. But IL he has any doubt as to
the existence OF the combative power |
Of corrupfing Influences let him enter |
upon the work OF endeav oring to insti- |
tute reforms: let him approach the so |
called trusts with the intent Of correct |
ing their defects, let him lead I'm an ef- |
fort TO revise the tariff so as TO elimi- |
nate some OF its manifest abuses; let |
him come in hostile conflict with con-
centrated capital in any form. and he /
will ind that II he has the desire to |
fight he can satisfy his wishes 10 his /
hearts content. More than this. he can
and should realize that any success on
these lines won In this country will be
10 our S0.0oooO people OF infinitely
greater value than any victory he can
win for the nation In lands beyond the
Bsas.