Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-11-02
TEXAN SPEAKSAT
RINK MEETING
Congressman Rufus Hardy Delivers
Strong Address at Final Demo-
cratic Rally Here.
ABLY DISCUSSES ISSUES
Shows Situation Clearly and Makes
Plain Labor's Position in Pres
ent Great National Contest.

For the last time in this campaign
the proofs which the democratic party
las to offer to back up its arguments
were impressed On an audience of be-
tween 400 and 500 at the rink Saturday
evening, and more enthusiasm was
shown at the words of the speaker
than at any time previous in the cam.
paign. Daniel L. Cruice, the Chicago
labor leader who was advertised to
speak, was unable to be present but
his place was we'll filled by Congress-
man Rufus Hardy of Texas, who was
secured for the evening at the last
moment.
Mr.. Cruice was detained in Chicago
at the last minute, because of tie fact
that the central labor bodies there as
II. the tri-cities, were acting on the
campaign and endorsing the democrat
ic position. He was asked 10 remain
there and participate in these deliber-
atoms
Congressman Hardy has made his
name we'll known throughout the coun-
Try, and he lives up to his reputation
as speaker He dealt with the prob
lens of the campaign in clear terse
way, and as he expressed it himself
he made things clear rather than ad-
vanced arguments. And in making the
situation clear ne was really giving
the strongest argument possible
against the ring rule of the trusts and
lponopolieS which tre standard bearer
of the dominant party represents The
congressman has been all over the
state in this years campaign. and all
ever the country as well, and in his
opinion the laboring men of the coun-
try are united for the man who really
stands for them Hon. William Jen-
Rings Bryan.
Discusses Different PIanlSs.
Congressman Hardy in his speech
took up the three planks in the two
parties which have received the most
attention throughout the campaign,
and If there was any doubt in the
minds of any of the listeners at the
beginning as to which party best rep
resented the interests of the masses
of the people there was none when the
talk was completed. The speaker first
took up the tariff question, and quoted
what the republican leaders say they
believe will be the best changes in the
tariff. and they all admit that they
should be changed. He then asked the
simple question, why did they not
make the change last year when the
republican party dominated in both
houses and in the. executive chair"
and answered it by claiming that the
reason was in the fact that they cid
not want TO change the tariff, and they
never will change it. because it would
hurt the men who back the party, the
trust magnates and money interests.
shows Tariff Effect.
The speaker gave few Illustrations
of how the protective tariff hurts the
prosperity of the country. 1t has driv-
er the mercantile service from the
seas and practically all the trade
of this country is done in foreign ships.
]: has given local manufacturers the
power of monopolizing home trade, and
they have done it to such an extent
that they sell their goods in foreign
countries at considerably lower prices
than they ask for them from Ameri-
cans. The Elgin watch was taken as
an example of this. The Elgin watch
which sells in this country for $40 can
be bought in England for 81, and the
same proportion prevails in higher
gr.deS of time pieces. The steel trust
sells steel rails at consi 1erable lower
figures in other countries than here
and yet a representative of the stee
trust once proudly proclaimed tha
steel can be made in this country
cheaper than in any other. Still the
price is kept high by the tariff SO tina
the profits of the companies are in
creased Several other instances o
the evil of the protective tariff wer,
discussed by him before he took III
the anti-injunction plank in the demo
cratic platform and showed its dir
need.
Talks of Injunctions.
He explained how the issuance of
writ of Injunction gives the judge tn
right to hold it's violator on the seriou
charge of contempt of court when tn
crime if any which was committe
would be a trivial affair. Its eyiden