Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-11-04

and take notice now. The Chicago
Tribune is one of those republican
powers to see the futility of trying to
put veneer of responsibility upon the
mcnopolistic Aldrich-Cannon combine
in congress. The Sunday Tribune edi-
torially admits:
The situation within the ranks of
the republican party outlined by Mr..
O'Laughlin after his tour of investiga-
ton through the so-called insurgent
states and states in which there are
insurgents in the minority, has been
confirmed by dispatches from the Trib-
une correspondents in the great wa
terway feet.
1T appears that the senators and
members of congress who voted against
the Aldrich law and the representa-
tives who were opposed to the rules
of the house are justified in their be-
lief that there will be an addition to
the number of insurgents at the next
congressional elections
1t is quite clear, too, that a consid-
cradle number of those who voted for
the Aldrich law, who supported the
speaker in his campaign for reelection
by the house, and for the so-called
compromise" rules have found that
the sympathy of many of their con-
stituents is with the insurgents They
say that in order to be returned to
congress they believe that the speaker
and thereby the methods of legisIa-
ton with which his name is associa-
ted-must be eliminated as an issue.
THE information given the Trib-
une's correspondents is that already
some 40 members of the house who
voted for the Aldrich law have agreed
to act independently of the insurgents
in asking Mr.. Cannon to retire and in
selecting his successor
ut said, and with considerable
evidence to justify the statement, that
the speaker has laid down his course
and is determined to follow it even
though it appear that he is getting far
ther away not only from the rank and
file of the party, but from the men
who have hitherto stood by him from
motives of personal loyalty, public pol
icy, or political experience.
1T may be true, then. that Mr.. Can
non, like many another man here and
abroad is to end long career by pur-
suing his course irrespective of his
party.
THE president has long program
of legislation, the major part of which
the Tribune heartily endorses. 1t may
be that the enactment of this legisla-
ton will alter the political situation,
but in the meantime it cannot be said
with too much emphasis that republi-
cans of all sorts must face the situa-
ton within the party with courage
equal to their discretion If they are
to elect majority of the next house"
Back of it all is a potential demo
cratic force which has been hammer
ing away at republican injustice. The
Bryan campaigns have been great cam
paigns of education. While ridiculing
Bryan and democracy, republicans in
power have been forced inch by inch
to retreat from their position. They
have been compelled to make conces-
siOns to democracy. They claimed
Aldrich was not an issue. Now they
admit it. They hooted when Bryan
made Cannon an issue Now they re-
alize it. They first sneered at the
demand for a tariff revision down
ward" which Bryan promised, then
they incorporated such a promise in
their national platform, but repudiated
it because the Aldrich-Cannon gang
was in control. And now they are
backing water and back-pedaling again.
They know it is their only salvation