Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-08-18
Republicans Alarmed.

Internal strife bespeaks the disin-
tegration of the republican party in
dicted and convicted by its own testi'
fony in the IL years that il has held
the undisputed control If all the
branches of the federal government.
And the cause is not far to seek.
The roaring thunder of battle that
has just been sounded in this cam
paign carries with it the sharp light
ming flashes of public sentiment that
means its downfall-its complete over
throw when the ballots are counted on
the night of Nov 4. The battle is be-
tween the bourbons, who have played
the game of politics for mean and SOL
did motives, and the progressives OF
that party, who have drank deep of
the democratic doctrines at the foun-
tain of truth, and are ready to array
themselves in championing the cause
of the masses of the people as it has
never been championed before
The republican party has arrived
at the parting of the ways. The old
tariff bourbons, who during the last
session of cuhgress followed needless
ly and heedlessly under the leadership
of Speaker Cannon in the gladiatorial
arena of do-nothingism, are grasping
hopelessly at the last straw before the
avalanche of popular sentiment sweeps
them underneath the trampling armies
of truth and brushes them into abject
submission to the will of the people.
The past u years of republican mis-
rule and do-nothingism have stirred
the ire of the American people and
they are now ready to enter an en-
phatic protest against predatory wealth
debating, browbeating, and compelling
those having authority to submit to
the mandates that are issued from the
imperial throne of Wall street.
The republican party is dismal fail
ure 1t is more than that; it is an alb
solute failure. No longer can the
shibboleth of the full dinner pail be
used to drive the army of to;lers to
the booths on election day with the
promise of rainbow prosperity: no
longer can the thumb of coercion be
planted on the brow of organized labor,
for the hardy toiler has seen, and he
has suffered.
The late industrial panic which struck
Rock Island as it fell with its might
upon all sections of the nation and
lpalsied all the arteries of trade aroused
the people of the country, and they
know, if they never knew before, that
no government can permanently en-
dure that is controlled by a few men
who live on in Belshazzarean luxury
while the producing masses of the
country plod along eagerly and persist
emily to get through life with only the
bare necessities.
The republican campaign organs have
hung up the signal cry of distress. The
republicans have had absolute control
| of the government for the past IL
years, and have enlisted the aid OF
their party organs in sending out man
ufactured reports of the returning wave
OF prosperity, and of the factories that
thave opened their doors. The vast
army of the unemployed are yet crav
ing for work, and their vote in Novem
Der will not be cast for the republican
party, but for the candidates of the
party which champion the cause OF
the common people, and will carry
Bryan and Kern to the two highest ex
ecutive offices of this government tC
forever put an end to the Infamous
robberies of the many for the sordid
gain of the few.