Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-11-19

sal accumulation of wealth in the
hands of a few men is too great a
menace TO the republic;
That the process of combination and
concentration of business threatens to
extin guish the independent tradesman
and turn us into a nation of hired
servants of one great central power;
That one of the results of the pres
ent system is to impoverish the gen
erality of men for the benefit of those
that operate the combinations;
That railroads like the Southern Pa
cif1c, founded in graft and continued
with iniquity, are taxes upon the cost
of living and the toll of the producers;
That 1t is practically useless to try
to check evolutions or remedy these
conditions by any more regulative
laws.
Such being the case, here is the
chance for some congressman really
DESTROYS of achieving things to serve
his times
Let any insurgent in congress come
forth now with a distinctive construc-
will get. Let him, for instance, stand
for things sane. necessary, and con-
structive like these:
l. parcels post to knock out the
monstrous express graft. Then
2. The government to acquire and
operate the telegraph systems. Then
8. The government to begin at once
upon a comprehensive plan to acquire
the railroad systems.
These for a constructive national
program. To them should be added
/. Election of senators by the peo-
pie
2. Initiative, referendum, and recall.
The only reason why some one in
congress does not announce this as a
definite and enduring policy is because
of the prevalence of the rabbit breed
of public men.
There is a widespread idea among
members of congress and others that
in this country a public man must, be
eternally vigilant about .eTerything he
says. He must be very cautious lest
somebody suspect him of deadly rad
icalism.
This is foolishness. The fact is you
need not be afraid to say to the Amer
lean people anything that is decent
provided only that you believe it your
self-anything in the world. The peril
lies in saying something that you don t
believe. That, in the long run, is dan
gerous business. But if you truly be-
lieve anything you need not be afraid
Of - a. a.,
housetops, nor to strive for 1t upon
every occasion. The chances are that
the people already know far more
about it than you do, anyway.
This idea of regarding the American
people as an ignorant, violent herd, to
be guided adroitly and cautiously by
heaven-appointed geniuses, is ridicu-
lous to anyone that knows the coun-
try as it is.
Whatever wisdom there may be in
the state is collective. No man is
wise enough to give orders to the rest
of us. We have no need of a political
monitor, guide, uncrowned king, or
perpetual president. All we need is
somebody in congress that will have
sense enough to stand for the reforms
that the people were ready for long
ago.
Some day there will arise a con-
gresham that will not care a boot
about his fences, his machine, his con-
vention, his denomination, his dull
party bosses, nor whether he comes
back or stays at home. He will center
his attention on being something more
than an automaton with a vocal at
tachment. Such man will not bother
about the pork barrel, nor strain him
self to get new postoffice for Podunk.
He will get a horizon wider than his
own district and his own greasy af-
fairs. He will forget about seeds and
patent office reports. But he will fight
to stop the corporations where they
are and he will see that thing done
and have a share in # and be glad
Where is the congressman?
He will have to be one without time
to daily with the regulative quack-
salvers and prepared to go to the root
of the trouble. II such a one will ap-
pear now he can be sure of fame
achievement, and a satisfaction not to
be derived from one hundred pork bar
rels nor a thousand new postofices.