Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-07-09

eminent" and be administered in
its departments according to the JEFF
fersonian maxim: Equal rights to all
and special privileges to nome
"sHALL THE PEOPLE RULER
This is the overshadowing issue at
this time; it manifests itself in all
tie questions now under discussion
and demands immediate consideration
SENATORS BY DIRECT VOTE.
We favor the erection of United
States senators by direct vote of the
people and regard this reform as the
gateway to all other national reforms
TARIFF REVISION.
We welcome the belated promise
OF tariff reform, now offered by a part
of the republican party, as tardy
recognition of the righteousness of
the democratic position on this ques-
ton, but the people cannot safely in
trust the execution of this important
work TO a party which is so obligated
to the highly protected interests that
it postpones relief until after the cleo
ton. And we call attention to the
significant fact that the promise now
made is wholly yitiated by the use of
the qualifying words under which the
present tariff iniquities have been
! fostered and developed. We favor an
, immediate revision of the tariff by the
! reduction of import duties. Articles
entering into competition with articles
controlled by trusts should be
placed upon the free list: material re-
auctions should be made in the tariff
upon the necessaries of life, and especi-
ally ON articles competing with such
f, American manufactures as are sold
abroad cheaper than at home, and grad
/ uated reductions should be made in
/ such other schedules as may be neces-
sary to restore the tariff to revenue
basis.
We favor an income tax as part of
. our revenue system, and we urge the
/ submission of a constitutional amend
ment specifically authorizing congress
! to levy and collect tax upon indi-
vidual and corporate incomes, to the
end that wealth may bear its proper
tionate share of the burdens of the
federal government.
/ IMMIGRATION.
| We favor full protection by both ma
tional and state governments within
their respective spheres of all for
eigners residing in the United States
under 20 years of age, but we are opposed
I to the admission of Asiatic immigrants
who cannot be amalgamated with our
/ population or whose presence among
fus would raise a race issue and in
/ volve us in diplomatic controversies
with oriental powers, and we demand
| a stricter enforcement of the immigra-
ton laws against any immigrant who
advocates assassination as means OF
/ reforming our government.
/ GOVERNMENT BY OFFICE HOLDERS.
4 Coincident with the enormous in.
crease in expenditures is a like addi
| ton to the number Of officeholders
/ During the last year 23,7S4 were add
ed, costing S16156,0OO, and in the last
six years of republican administration
/ the total number of new Offices crea.
i ed, aside from many commissions, has
been 99,319, entailing an additional
expenditure of nearly $70,G00,000. as
| against only 1929 new offices created
under the Cleveland and Mckinley ad
ministrations, involving an expendi
/ ture of only S600O,0O0.
/ We denounce this great and growing
/ increase in the number of officehold
ers as not only unnecessary and
wasteful, but also as clearly indicat
| ing a deliberate purpose on the part
of the administration to keep the re
| publican party in power at public eX
pense by thus increasing the number
of its retainers and dependents. Sucl
| procedure we declare to be no les
dangerous and corrupt than the opeI
purchase of votes at the polls.
i We believe that the tariff schedules
| the prolific mother of trusts and mo
nopolies, should be at once revised, tt
the end that special privileges may
be stopped that trusts and monop
olies may be destroyed, and that the
free competition, the equality of op
portunity, and the spirit of individ
ualism, which have SO largely bull
up the country, should at once agair
throw open the door of hope to the
ordinary citizen of our country. This
transcends in Importance all othel
issues in this campaign.
| We believe, to the end that expor
| trade should be increased and tina
closer and more cordial relation:
should be established with other ma
| lions, that the policy of reciprocity
should be extended as far as is con
sistent with preserving here the
standard of living and the presen
scale of wages at which men are EN-
pioyed in the industries of this coun
| try.
4 We believe in the civil service ant
L demand that the laws pertaining
thereto shall be honestly and rigid.
enforced, to the end that merit AM
h ability shall be the standards of pro
motion rather than political services
rendered to- the republican party.
We hold that the constitutional pre-
vision that navy shall be provides