Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-08-31

potence which springs from the over
division OF government powers, the i'm
potence which makes 1T possible for
local selfshness or for legal cunning.
hired by wealthy special interests. TO
bring national activities to a dead
lock- This new nationalism regards
the executive power as the steward Of
the public welfare. 1t demands Of the
judiciary that 1t shall be interested
primarily in human welfare rather
than in property, Just as It demands
that the representative body shall rep
resent all the people rather than any
one class or section OF the people.
For Men, Not Property.
believe In shaping the ends Of gov
eminent to protect property as well as
human welfare. Normally and In the
long run the ends are the same, but
whenever the alternative must be
faced am for men and not for prop
erty.
I am FAR from Understanding the
importance Of dividends, but rank
dividends below human character.
know well that the reformers must not
bring upon the people economic ruin
or the reforms themselves will go
down in the ruin. But we must be
ready to face temporary disaster,
whether or not brought on by those
who VIII war against Us to the knife
Those who oppose all reform wiz do
well to remember that ruin In it's
worst form Is inevitable II our ma
tional life brings rs nothing better
than swollen fortunes for the few and
the triumph In both politics and bust
ness Of a sordid and selfish material
ism.
If our political institutions were per
feet they would absolutely prevent the
political domination Of money In any
part Of our affairs. We need to make
our political Representatives mora
quickly and sensit1vely responsive to
the people whose servants they are.
More direct action by the people I'm
their own affairs under proper safe
guards is vitality necessary. The d.
rect primary is a step in this directions
If it is associated with a corrupt prac-
tees act effective to prevent the adj
vantage of the man willing recklessly
and unscrupulously TO spend money
over his more honest competitor.
1t is particularly important that all
moneys received or expended for cam
paign purposes should be publicly ac-
counted for not only after election
but before election as we'll
Political action must be made sim,
pier, easier and freer from confusion
for every citizen I believe that the
prompt removal Of unfaithful or in
competent public servants should be
made easy and sure In whatever way
experience shall show to be most eK-
pedient in any given class Of cases.
One of the fundamental necessities
in a representative government such
as ours is to make certain that the
men to whom the people delegate their
power shall serve the people by whom
they are elected and not the special
interests.
The object Of government is the well
fare of the people. The material prog
ress and prosperity of a nation are de-
sirable chiefly so far as they lead to
the moral and material welfare Of all
good citizens. Just In proportion as
the average man and woman are hon.
est, capable of sound judgment and
high ideals. active in public affairs
but first of all sound In their home life
and the father and mother Of healthy
chiIdren-just so far and no farther
we may count our civilization a sue
cess.
We must have-I believe we have
already-a genuine and permanent
moral awakening. without which no
wisdom OF legislation or adminIstra-
ton really means anything. And, on
the other hand. we must try to secure
the social and economic legislation
without which any improvement due
to purely moral agitation is necessari-
ly evanescent.
What we need are good citizens.
Good citizenship means progress. and
therefore oil good citizens should stand
for progress and must be progressive