Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-10-28


ton with the srossest discourtesy. |
am mere observer of political events,
not in any sense Il politician. but
would ask any reader of this article
whether he has seen i'll the newspaper
reports of this campaign any indica-
ton of Vice President Fairbanks ac-
tivity in behalf of the heir apparent?
If Fairbanks has been on the stump
the newspapers have not mentioned
the fact And if Foraker has been on
the stump since the treacherous letter
of Taft concerning him was published
nobody knows of that fact With Fair
banks i'll Indiana and Foraker in Ohio
and La Toilette III Wisconsin quietly
in opposition TO the ticket Of their own
party. what chance has that party
ticket to win?
Cases of Coercion.
Toward the close of the campaign
the Republicans are playing the old
game of coercion. At the Democratic
national headquarters there are letters
and affidavits OH file showing the des-
perate eXpedients to which the opposi-
tion is rcsorting in the hope of forcing
Voters to do its will. We have, for ex-
ample. an affidavit from a travelling
man who knows of what he is speak
ing and who testifies that he was in
structed to send orders to his house
which were TO be filled if Taft was
elected and duplicate order in which
the prices were to be reduced If Bryan
was elected. The understanding was
that the duplicate order was 10 be
used to affect public sentiment and
not 10 be considered by the house. We
arc in possession of information which
shows that certain great bank in
Chicago after bringing a man clear
from Idaho TO consider a proposition
for placing Il certain number of bonds
informed him that because of fear of
Bryan's election they would not even
discuss the matter The bonds were to
he based upon Il water power and cleo.
trio power proposition. What in the
world the election of Bryan could have
to do with the success Of such bust
ness enterprise in Il town of the far
northwest is hard to determine. Yet it
appears that the Republicans pretend
to think that there is some sort of
sinister influence that the president
might exert over a municipal monop-
oily. Whether they have as yet APP
pealed to telephone companies and
street ear companies for funds | do
not know. But there has come TO the
national committee headquarters Il let
ter which to great extent justified
the complaint of the man from Idaho
that he was prevented from placing
his bonds of an electric light and pow
er company because of apprehension
that BRYAN might be elected. This let
ter came from Tennessee. 1t was adj
dressed to the head of an electric pow
er company. pleading for contribu.
ton to the Republican campaign fund
on the ground that everybody who
was interested in furnishing power
from a central station or furnishing
light or heat should contribute toward
the election of Taft and Sherman be-
cause their election was vital to the
success of that business. The letter,
which have in my possession, is writ
ten on the letter head of the Republican
national committee and signed by a
subofficer of that committee. 1t is
clearly official The point which might
be raised about it is this:
What has the president of the United
States or the vice president to do with
the electric lighting. traction or power
companies of any city? Why should
those companies be asked to contribute
| to campaign fund on the plea that
| their interests are vitality involved
In Chicago there has been a long fight
for the municipal control of electric
traction and power companies. Why
should the right of city to control
these companies be complicated by
any sort of federal Interference? And
If there is to be no federal interior
1 ence why should the Republican, ma
tional committee in an official docu
ment soliciting funds declare that thu
interests of electric companies opcrat
ing from a central station are VITAL!
bound up In the election of Taft ant
i Sherman? OF course Taft's brother i
at the head of most Of the public serv
ice corporations of Chicago. and Sher
NUN Is largely. interested in those Q