Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-31

paign with better weapons than ever
before. On May 10 the Socialist con-
vention met at Chicago. For the first
time the Socialists of America af
firmed their position on specific ques-
lions of policy. The convention NOM
mated on the first ballot unanimously
Eugene V. Debs for president and Ben
jamin Hanford for vice president, the
same ticket put up by the Socialists in
1904.
The Prohibitionists, conscious Of the
great strides their cause had made ON
the local option issue in many states,
nominated Eugene w Chain of Hi
nois and Aaron S. Watkins of Ohio
July 10 at Columbus, o., on plat
form containing many radical propos-
ais besides that against the sale or
manufacture of intoXicants.
On July % at Chicago the first ma
tional convention of the Independence
party, outgrowth of the league organ
ICED by Editor Hearst, named Thomas
I l.. Hisgen of Massachusetts and John
Temple Graves of Georgia on a plat
| form conta lining most of the radical
ideas of the Democrats and some more
radical. Opposition to Bryan was its
| keynote.
The Peoples party April at st.
Louis again named Thomas e. Watson
| of Georgia as it's standard bearer along
with S. w. Williams of Indiana. al
| though it did not put a ticket up in
all of the states.
! On Sept 10, at Columbus, O.. Hearst
stirred up the hitherto calm current of
the campaign by reading into his
speech the first batch of Il series of
i letters which had been stolen from the
files of the Standard OIL company and
which threw a sinister light on the ac-
! tivities of various public men, notably
Foraker, Bailey, MacLaurin, Sibley,
certain Pennsylvania judges and eX-
/ Governor Stone, who was urged to APP
point them. Most of the letters were
written by Vice President Archbold of
the trust and contained divers certif
Gates of deposit for large sums of
! money. At the same time Hearst re-
peated the story of the alleged attempt
to bride former Attorney General Mon
nett of Ohio wherein Haskell the Dem
:. AS governor of Oklahoma Haskell also
was accused of protecting a legal
branch of the Standard Foraker ut
once withdrew from the campaign. and
, the president issued a hot statement
condemning the Ohioan and gave out
an old letter showing how Taft had re-
fused to deal with Foraker; then com
pared this course to that of Bryan and
Haskell. Bryan replied. demanding a
hearing for Haskell, and then ensued q
bitter verbal duel on personal and
party issues. Haskell resigned, but
protesting innocence. as did also Du
POnt, the powder trust head, from the
Craftsmanship of the Republican speak
ers' bureau. Both the president and
Taft took the ground that publishing
names of contributors before election
would be to invite unfair and partisan
criticism of candidates.
Gompers appealed to all unions in
the a. f. of L. to give moral and finan.
; cial support 70 Bryan. Speaker Cannon
was the special target OF the Gompers
battery, and ''Cannonism" became q
national issue, many candidates fol
congress being pledged against Cannon
, as the next speaker.
On Nov. 3 the voters of the nation
had their say. The extent Of the Re
publican victory can be best remem
bered by the statement that Taft car
. ried every safe that Roosevelt did il
!. 1904 except Nebraska, Colorado ant
Nevada. Furthermore, Taft invaded
the solid south with small pluralitie.
l in Maryland and Missouri and large
gains in other southern states Th,
popular vote stood: Taft, 1857 GI6
Bryan, 6393, 1872; Debs. Al ,6J1: Chatin
, 241.252; Hisgen, So 1856; Watson. 1851
Gilhaus (Socialist-Labor. 1921; total
, 1852, 239 The total vote in 1904 wa.
13,510,10S. Several states in the Taf
column elected Democratic governor
!. Harmon in Ohio, Marshall in In
diana and Johnson in Minnesota. Tai
!, captured the Democratic stronghold O
: New York city. The Republican major
ity in congress was reduced to AZ
: the total being 90 and the Demo
cratic 172. The senate's Republican
complexion was unchanged.
The early months of the long session
!, ! of congress were devoted chiefly to tn,
. Republican wrangle over the terms o
currency bill. The Aldrich relic
measure finally went through the sen
" ate March % despite the ali night fill
| buster of La Toilette, to propitiat
whom the railroad bond feature hat
= been cut out. La Toilette named al
;. oligarchy of fourteen wealthy me-
> who. he said. actually ruled the ma
: ton. The Vreeland bill. in which
:, clearing house associations were mad
u the channel of the new currency issue
was passed by the house, and then
compromise between that and the Aid
!. rich bills, with provision for a join
commission to report on permanent re
= forms, was adopted by both branche
:. and signed by the president.
= Under the presidents prodding tn
ir Sterling liability bill was advanced b
K, the majority and passed unanimousl
,e In both houses. This holds interstat
carriers liable for injuries to employ
Is ees and abolishes the rule barrin
n compensation when the negligence @