Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-08-28
APPROPRIATE DEMOCRATIC ISSUES
Observation-Disclosures COMING TO SEE THINGS
Gratis HAVE YEARS POSTMASTER eENER-
AL MEYER TOWARD PosTPARcEL
The Argus.)

Especial Washington Correspondence of
The Argus)
When in Washington some months
ago Mr.. Bryan was much amused by
Il cartoon published in Golfers Week
~. 1t depicted him us Il bird some
what bedragglcd and sOrely despoilcd
of its feathers. In Il coy nest close
at hand Roosevelt, also in birdlike
guise, was comfortably lining his home
with the plumes he had plundered
from Bryan. The Democratic leader
laughed as he looked at the picture
and said good naturally: The Repub-
leans must think those feathers pref
ty good, after all, though they used to
criticise them pretty harshly. But they
can have them. We have plenty left"
1t may be possible for Democrats to
be little too certain about their sup
ply of political plumage. Their pet is
sues have gone fast into Republican
control Recently two more have been
appropriated. Postmaster General Mey-
er after Il conference ut Oyster Bay
announced that in his next report he
would urge the establishment Of a par
GELS post and postal savings banks.
Both of these advances in the service
of the government to its citizens have
had place i'll Democratic platforms,
Indeed, they have been accompanied
with the demand for the establishment
of postal telegraphS. How ia" Mr..
Meyers recommendation will go in Il
Republican senate not wholly without
friendliness to the express companies
and to the private banking interests
| may well be questioned. 1t IS some
thing of a sign of progress, however
| that the issue should be raised by u
Republican postmaster general.
The reasonableneSs of this reform
seems self evident. Today by our for.
| eign treaties one can send Il ten pound
| package by mail from New York tC
| st. Petersburg more cheaply than from
| New York to Chicago. Yet there Is 4
| very definite opposition to the parcels
| post, and that not wholly based on The
self antagoniSm of the express cOmpa
| MES. 1t springs from the apprehension
| of the country merchant that the Grea
mail order houses, of which Chicag,
is the headquarters, if the forwarding
! of goods is made any cheaper thai
now, will destroy the local store. They
| have indeed cut into village trade very
heavily. The amount of business they
do is incredible. Their private post
| offices handle more mail than paSSe:
in and out of Il town of 1900 inhab
| itants. | well remember that som,
months ago Il Chicago editor who di,
not like mail order houses, possibly be
| cause they don't advertise, wrote III,
that for this reason any party that al
vocated n parcels post would meet dis
aSter.
Standard Oil and Foreign Prices.
Herbert Knox Smith, commissions
of corporations, seems to be n youn;
| gentleman to whom the fact that tn
sun rises in the east would seem
most extraordinary and original dis
covery on his part. worthy of being Sc
forth in a 400 page official report II
| has just issued two reports bearing
upon the Standard Oil company ant
the petroleum interest in genera
They are full of useful statistics, we
digeSted records and not little YER
vigorous denunciatiOn of the method
of the monster monopoly. But whe
Mr.. Smith announces as an Origina
and unique discovery the fact that tn
Standard Oil is marketing its produC
abroad at lower prices than it charge
the American consumer he cannot e1
pect a well informed public to be as
tonished.
This is not practice peculiar to tn
Standard Oil company. 1t is followe
by every protected and monOpoli2e
industry in the United States. Con
missioner Smiths ingenious aStonisl
ment at his discovery reminded a Ne'
on hearing that he had baby sistt
cried out: ooh, | must run and te
mamma! She'll be so surprised"'
Blank Cartridges For the Trusts.
8 1t is noticeable that, amid all tt
administration hullabaloO about I'll
trusts, only the spectacular and not Il
effective remedies are being sough
That a Roosevelt judge, melted Their
to by officials of a Roosevelt depar
ment of justice. Inflicted fine of So