Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-12-18

likely to go FAR.
Speaker Cannon and Tariff.
1t is fair to say for Uncle Joe Can |
non that he has the courage of his con-
victionS He believes that American |
Industries. however old. still need pro-
lection and that the American people |
love TO he taxed. He is no revisionist |
either before or after the election, III |
which he differs from President ROOse- |
welt only that he speaks his convictions
frankly and truly.
At convention of pOtters in Wash |
ington last week the speaker WAS frank
TO say that they need not worry about
any reduction of the tariff on pottery.
china and porcelain. but that so far as
he was concerned he thought the tariff
was too low and that revision. if there
should be any, should take the form of
an increase in it. That is the first
specific proposition for Il revision OF
| the tariff that has come from any
prominent Republican. 1t seems TO in
dictate that revision of the tariff ut
the hands OF lis friends viii mean an
| increase and not a decrease of the tax
on the people.
One of the-assembled potteIs express
| ed in epigrammatic phrase his opm-
| ion of the present administration. Il
| hope" said he. ''the administration has
| something to promise us i'll the near
| future. | have had just two gifts from
| the Republican party in the last ten
years From the Mckinley admins
| tration | had Il handsome. house and
| lot The Roosevelt administration pre-
scented me with Il mortgage upon it."
| Free Silver Again.
Curiously enough, there is certain
muttering from the west of the old
| free silver idea. This time it does not
come from the Democratic party. which
| in 1896 was so widely described as the
party of Reputation and diShonor."
There are Republicans both i'll senate
and house who are talking the coin
| age of silver as n possible remedy for
the present financial stringency. Colo
RADIO has new senator of the name of
Guggenheim. He is one of seven
Brothers who practically control the
smelling industry in the United States.
To that extent his advocacy of silver
coinage may be regarded as not with
out some selfish purpose. His brother
Solomon is travelling through the west
preaching Il new form of silver coin
age. This is his proposition: a bill
giving the secretary of the treasury
discretionary power to purchase silver
bullion up TO J0,000.000 ounces and ali
silver so purchased TO be Immediately
coined into silver dolars.% He does
not specify the price to be paid for the
bullion. although he says that when
the silver question was agitated before
throughout this country the ratio of
production of the precious metals was
twcnty-three of silver to one of gold
Now it is eight of silver to one of gold
Today the price of silver is higher than
it was in 1896 If the government
should go into the market as the pur
chaser of 50.00o.00O ounces, that de
mand would necessarily send it higher
The Guggenheims. smeiters and sen
atOr. are all Republicans. Wouldn't
it be curious if Mr. Roosevelt and his
party, having adopted practically al
. the other principles for which Mr.
Bryan stood in 1896. should wind 'ul
by taking over to themselves the coin
age of silver as a relief for Il financial
stringency for which they themselves
!, are responsible?
The New Coinage.
All Washington is laughing at th'
new gold coins theoretically designed
:, by the late Augustus Saint Gaudens
but practically dictated by the YER
= present Theodore Roosevelt. The twent.
d 'oilar pieces have just appeared. Bare
!. ~ 100000 of them have been coined
t and the presses have now been stop
!, pei The design involves so deep
n sinking of the die that the rim of tn
r coin forms wire edge, which make
u it impossible to be stacked and whicl
L will wear off rapidly. destroying par
: of the intrinsic value of the coiI
d New dies will have to be made. nes
u machinery devised. They are likel
r TO bo the most expensive experiment
d in coinage The United States ever III