Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-10-30

Especial Washington Correspondence of
The Argus.)
The public service corporations OF
the city of New York are having trou
bles of their own. | use the word
troubles in the plural purposely. The
unfortunate stockholders in the Met
ropolitan Traction company and in the
metropolitan Securities company are
troubled because they found the man
ayers of their properties becoming in
credibly rich while the dividends VAN
ished The other trouble seems to be
coming to eminent defenders of the
national honor and bitter opponents of
Democratic success in either state or
nation. The investigation shows Mr..
Thomas +. Ryan. who used to think
he'd like to-be n Democratic candidate
for the presidency or for the senator
ship from Virginia, hand in glove with
Mr. Quigg, former Republican con
gresham, later the chairman of the
Republican county committee and now
lobbyist. Mr.. Quigg, who used TO
be q newspaper reporter, received In
four years S271 GOO from the traction
company.
Now, let us be fair. One of the most
successful jugglers of Metropolitan
Traction was William C. Whitney,
Grover Clevelands sponsor and man
ager in politics and President Cleve-
lands secretary of the navy. Mr..
Whitney engineered the nomination
| of Cleveland in 1892. He did it with
IL strong hand and IL heavy purse, and
the demands he or the people back OF
him made upon the Cleveland admins
| tration wrecked the Democratic party
| for many years. Bryan made it Il
| fighting organization, but even his
| wide popularity and vigorous leader
| ship were not able to overcome the
| burden of Clevelandism.
Mr.. Whitney was strong for national
honor in 1896. and yet at that very
| time he was doing things in connection
| with corporation that he controlled
amounting to personal dishonOr. 1t
|
| nothing but good of the dead. Person
ally | think the maxim should be
! changed. When the dead Has done
! much to debauch the government OF
the country. to encourage the idea that
| the mere lavish use of money can
| make president and that then the
power thus obtained can be used tC
enrich those engaged in the job. 1t is
time that truth was told. Today the
/ name of William G. Whitney. whom
| knew and who was personally low
able man. figures in every dubious op
Grafton Of the Metropolitan company
up to the time of his death. He was
the shrewd schemer. and perhaps t.
him the distinguished secretary Of
state. Elihu Root, was next.
Secretary Root has the excuse tina
! all lawyers use-namely. that he actet
only as attorney. Some day the PEG
pie in this country. who in the end ar,
its lawmaking authority. will enac
some sort of legislation to prevent thi.
subterfuge.
Why This Is National Issue.
), The mere fact of the overcapitaliza
, ton and the impending bankruptcy o
the New York traction companies
would not be matter of national con
Germ except for the truth that a goot
deal of the money which has reduces
these corporations to the point a
which they are unable to pay even tn
interest of their bonds has gone t
hungry politicians-in practically CIV
cry case very prominent politicians-al
lied with the Republican organization
There is mysterious check for $3.50
8 600. drawn in the campaign year o
: 1900. which nobody connected wit
; Metropolitan Traction either can o
/, will explain. Mr.. William NJ. WINS
8 who is Investigating the matter, make
no bones about asserting that 1t wen
to the Republican national COMMITTEES