Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-01-15
INCOMPETENCE OF FINANCIAL SYSTEM IS PROVED

be argued again because the banking
system has shown itself Incompetent
to cope with present business necessi-
ties. The treasury is not able to carry
ont the needs of the nation. and so in
some way the country must determine
how to correct a financial system
which has, been shown to be utterly
incompetent to take care Of the bust
ness of the nation. Every fall we find
that it is impossible to get money
enough to move the crops. Every
winter we find 1t impossible to get
money enough to carry the cotton of
the south to the seaboard. That means
that the financial system of the Unit
ed States has failed of its duty. The
banks have controlled the money of
the nation. they have controlled to
some extent the politics of the nation.
but now, after all their boasting of
their system. they are unable TO carry
from the north and the northwest food
products to the seaboard. and they are
equally unable to carry cotton from
the south and the southwest to tide
water 1t would seem that the bank
ing system should be changed or else
that the banks should no longer at
tempt to control the politics of the
nation.
The Two thirds Rule.
The New York sun. which as far as
the memory of man goes has been 4
bitterly nti-DemOcratic organ, de-
votes a whole column of its editorial
page to explaining how the Democratic
| national convention can avoid nomi-
mating real Democrat for the presi.
| dercy. Perhaps this is not quite fair
! 1t might be more fair to say that ii eX.
| plains how some real Democrats can
be used to prevent the nomination OF
| other Democratic Democrats.
The Sun is anxious only to see tina,
Mr.. Bryan should be defeated for the
| nomination. 1t seems to be anxious
not for the nomination of any other
man, but merely for the defeat of Bry
Fan. After long and careful study OF
the Suns editorial page l cannot point
out any suggestion on its part of sin
| gle candidate for the Democratic party
The Sun goes on to say that Texas
| might give its thirty votes to Senator
Charles A. CulberSon. and the vote.
could he cast for no more able repre-
sentative of the people But Senator
Culberson has declared himself not {
candidate and is today for the candi
date of the Democratic masses. A,
for the candidacy of Governor John
son of Minnesota. no true Democra
would question its propriety. Gov
ernor Johnson is Democrat from star
to finish. He suffers. of course. from
the fact that his prominence in tn,
Democratic party has been very mucl
advanced by such papers as the New
York Sun. This is not his fault. an,
the time will come when he may b
able to live down this sort of journal
istic support and get as close to tn
people OF the nation as he IS toda
close to the people of his own state.
Every real Democrat will be glad t
see in the convention at Denver
strong contest for the nomina tor
The harder the fight the greater tn
interest and in the end the larger til
vote. Whoever may be nominated thi
time will go before the members of hi
party as fair winner in a fair figh
In the 1904 convention the gentleme
who pressed the candidacy of Jude
Parker saw no better way to do
than to wantonly insult every ma
who stood for another candidate or &c
a man who was not candidate. bu
who had host of friends. This yea
the situation is different. WhethC
Mr.. Bryan or Mr.. johnson should /
the candidate, there are going to /
Democratic unity and Democratic d,
termination for success.
t OfficehoIders In Politics.
! The friends of Theodore Roosevelt
; his early days, when his whole politics
| activity was based upon devotion
t civil service reform. must wonder som