Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-10-24
CAMPAIGN Issues.

Democrats have no lack of live is
sues this year upon which to wage
their campaign. In fact there are so
many issues forced on the attention
of the voters through republican sins
of commission and omission as to al
most confound many voters. The cam
paign book issued by the national dem
ocratic congressional committee in its
table of contents places the tariff and
cost of living" as the paramount issue
of the campaign, and republican ex-
travagance" as second in importance.
The independent voter is more than
ever worth attention this year, be-
cause of his greater numbers and his
evident trend toward democracy.
Nothing will appeal more to the indie
pendent voter than the two leading is
sues above mentioned, for both touch
the pocket; and after all it is the ma
terial side that appeals in politics.
But there are also great moral issues
involved in the tariff and in extrava-
gance. BY reason of the tariff the tax
| is imposed, and by reason of eXtrava-
CANT appropriations much of the tax
| is wasted. Such is evidently the idea
of Governor Austin L. Crothers OF
Maryland, who, the Baltimore Sun re-
ports, has accepted a number of in
vitations to speak, and who will make
as many speeches as the duties of his
| office will permit" The Sun also
publishes a statement of Governor
/ Crothers. outlining the main issues
upon which he will speak, in which
he says: THE republican party In its
/ last platform promised that if it were
again intrusted with power 1T would
revise the tariff downward, so as to
lessen the burdens of the people. It's
candidates won. Congress assembled.
and a shameful reputation of that
promise was made by the enactment
| of the Payne-Aldrich tariff law. In this
campaign the republican party and its
candidates are confronted by the fall
ure to carry out this solemn pledge to
the people
"a party cannot make a more ser
ious mistake than to violate plat
form pledge, as it involves the en-
bodied conscience of the entire party
adherence AS a result of the failure
Of the republican party TO revise the
tariff downward. the cost of living has
continued to increase, constituting a
great hardship upon the millions of
the toiIing masses and consumers OF
this country. The Payne-Aldrich law
has also served to enrich further the
privileged classes, in whose interests
it was manifestly passed.
1T will not suffice now to promise
to relieve this overburdened and sink
ing ship by the promise to cast Speak
er Cannon, the captain of the vessel,
overheard. It is cowardly for the re-
publican party to try to visit its sins
upon Cannon alone. Cannon is sim
ply the product of the recent policy
and system of the republican party.
He has stood firmly for every move
made by the party in the interests OF
the privileged classes. While it may
teach Cannon as an individual a valu-
able lesson, 1t by no means relieves
the party from the responsibilities of
the policy it has been pursuing. Had
Cannon served the people with one
half of the zeal he has served the spe-
cial interests, they wsuld not now be
turning him over naked to his enc
mics.
THE democratic party, from all IN
dications throughout the country,
seems assured of a triumphant vic
tory. The people seem to fully real
ize that there is no other way by which
they can be relieved from the burdens
of exorbitant tariff taxation except by
the election Of democratic candidates.
They believe that the tariff schedules
should be reduced by the friends of
the consumer"