Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-10-16
Especial Washington Correspondence of
The Argus.)

Especial Washington Correspondence Of
The ArgusD
Three possible candidates for the
Republican presidential nomination are
travelling about the face of this earth
at public expense. Mr.. Roosevelt after
triumphant progress down the Mis-
sissippi river plunged into the cane
brakes of Louisiana in search of bear;
Secretary Root is in Mexico eXchang-
ing courteSieS with President DiaZ,
whose cleverness in getting himself re.
nominated for term after term may
possibly have afforded certain sugges-
tons TO President Roosevelt; Mr.. Taft
after visiting Japan is in Manila.
Sometimes one wonders what we could
do with the Philippines if we did not
have Taft to send over there every six
months to placate their people; also
it's worth considering what we could
do with Taft if we did not have dis
tant colonial possessions to which he
might be sent AS secretary of war he
is known least In the big building of
French architectural design to the
borS his office. These three distin-
guished candidates for the presiden-
tial nomination find excuse for wide
| travel at public expense. There are
| Others whose work in awakening pub
| lie sentiment in either their own be-
half or in support of the doctrines in
which they believe must be paid for
| nJlt nf thait ,.rl,
| their own earnings. Curiously enough
there IS tendency on the part of the
American press to ridicule the public
man who does this and to bow down
| in worship before the one who has the
keys of the treasury.
For example let us take Senator La
| Toilette. He is not a rich man. To
his needs the treasury is not open, eli
Their by specific appropriation, as in the
| case of the president, or by a con.
| tingent fund, as in that of the Secre
| tary of war or the secretary of state
4 But he believes that he has q mission
| He holds that he has a doctrine tC
preach which will be for the good OF
his party and of the people of the Unit
4 GU 'oldlCo. II 81 IiaipIIcIS llIdl
| more than ever before Il statesman with
q message must deliver it personally tC
| the people-that is to say, he must
| travel and address those whom he de
| SireS to influence. The pressure OF
news upon the newspapers is too great
So many men are striving to influence
their fpllows~by speeches that the press
| &c TO 70. 70 Il oil
that the politicians would like to have
said. Even the presidents speeches
which have naturally the greatest
news value, have~been printed in full
| in but few newspapers. What Mr.. La
| Toilette might have to say. or on the
| Democratic side what Mr.. Bryan might
have 10 say. will inevitably have to bC
''cut down" and not always cut will
| friendly intent. So it becomes neces
| Sary for these gentlemen. one on the
| Republican and one on the Democrat
ic side, to go out and speak to the PEG
pie and in so doing earn the money
necessary to pay the expenses of theil
jOurneyings. They might do it by be
coming trust lawyers. They prefer t.
do it by lecturing for price, thereb!
accepting no obligation to any corpora
ton or to any individual l happier
to know of Senator La Toilette tina
while his income from his lectures i:
large he devotes most of it to the sup
port of the political organization il
Wisconsin with which he is trying t,
fight political and commercial corrup
ton. l happen also to know of MI
Bryan that the greater part of his earn
ings is devoted to the advancement o
the cause for which he and his friends
stand.
When you come to think of it, is
not better that men striving to make
fight for what they believe right
whether they happen to be Republican
or Democrat, SHOULD carry on thei