Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-01-29
BUSINESS SLUMP SHOWS
COP. POLICIES ARE LAME


would move thither. Mr.. Bryan de-
clined the proposition, though those
who made it were amply able to give
it effect on the ground that his inter-
ests and his affections were too closely
linked with Lincoln and with Nebras-
ka for him to move away.
Kilkenny Cats In Chic.
Senator Foraker and Secretary Taft
are pointing accusing fingers at each
other and each amounting himself with
balm as the only true promoter CT har-
mony and peace in the state. In !. re
cent speech the senator. who is q
mighty good fighter, whatever may be
thought of his political doctrines, re-
ferred with caustic bitterness to Sec
rotary Taft's avowal that he rejected
propositions for harmony on the
ground that the secretary of war could
not be party to any deal that gave
him the support of the Republicans Of
Ohio for the presidency if it compelled
the Endorsement of Foraker for the
United States senate. when Secre-
tary Taft rejected all these peace of
feringS,' said the senator. Il had eli
Their, to run away or to resume the
contest. The resulting situation is dis
agreeable. but | do not consider my
self responsible for it. Moreover in
view of the facts | have given | could
not if | so desired take the initiative
as to any new peace negotiations or
even consider or talk about anything
of the kind on my own motion until
Secretary Taft or some one speaking
for him should lead the way. And
| from all | hear nothing of that sort is
| likely TO occur. 1t may therefore be
| regarded as settled that the contest
| will be fought out to the end"
Considering that the friends of Mr..
Taft started in With the proposition to
eliminate Senator Foraker from poll
| tics and that they have not yet ceased
| talking along that line. the SENATOR
| position seems reasonable. 1t also
| seems equally reasonable to anticipate
| that with these two powerful warriors
at each others throats the chances for
| Democratic success in the coming cam
paign are very bright. To an observer,
| however. from outside the state the
fight also suggests that neither Taft
nor Foraker will in the very nature of
clever politics get the nomination.
A Republican Attack en- Labor's flights.
For more than a week the proposed
revision coditication of federal statutes
has been under discussion in the house
| OF representatives. The debate being
in committee of the whole. ii has been
more free and spirited than under the
heavy hand of the speaker. One para
| graph which has been on the statute
books since the year 1900 led To Il lively
| debate. in which the Democrats got q /
the best of it. This clause provides
| that any man who shall induce an EN-
ployee in any United States arsenal OF
armory to give up his employment OF
| any man who shall employ Il man sc
induced shall be guilty of misdemeanol
and subject to fine or Imprisonment.
The Democratic contention through
out the debate was that this was Il de
NAL to single class of public serv
ants of the right to better their condi
ton by securing better wages in pri
vate employ. What constitutes an in
ducement is easy to understand. Il
does not mean merely an offer of bet
ter pay from an employer. Even if the
workingman seeks the more attractive
offer and it is made he nevertheless
has been subject to inducement. The
Democrats urge a very simple amend
ment-namely. the insertion of the
words lin time of war; 1t would hardly
%l,.,t al
ton to that yet it was voted down
by a strict party vote. And more, tho
proposition for which the Republican
side of the house voted as unit was
designed only to prevent the mere
workingman, the fellow who handles
machinery and gets into the CRIME ant
ruck of actual work, from getting &
better place. 1t does not prevent tn,
army officer, educated at West Poin
and at public expense. from accepting
a proposition from the United States
steel trust to supervise the making OF
cannon or from going to the Colts
Arms company in Connecticut, where
great quantities of small arms art
manufactured and sold. 1t would mo-
prevent a man educated at public ex
pense from leaving the navy to go t
the Cramps or the Bethlehem Stee
company. 1t might be questioned why
if workingmen are to be denied the
right to seek better employment by
federal statute, they should not in the
same way he assured of the perma
hence of their present position. But
within q few months more than S,0Ql
men in navy yards on the Atlantic
coast have lost their jobs because the
, president took it into his head to send
, the fleet around Cape Horn. Consider
atoms like these will come to plague
the Republican party in the next cam
paign.
,, Washington, D. c.
WILLIS ]. ABBOTT.