Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-11-04

Friends and Fellow Offensive
stand face to face with a great de-
cision, a decision which will affect the
whole course of our national life and
our individual fortunes throughout the
next generation. We must make that
decision on the 5th of November. 1t
cannot be postponed. We cannot vote
without making it, and if we do not
vote those who do will make it for us.
The next four years will determine
how we are to solve the question OF the
tariff, the question Of the trusts, the
question of the reformation of our
whole banking and currency. system,
the conservation of our natural re-
sources and of the health and vigor of
our people, the development of our
means of transportation, the right ap-
plication of our scientific knowledge to
the work and healthful prosperity of
our whole population, whether in the
fields or in the factories or in the
mines, the firm establishment of a for
eign policy based upon justice and
good will rather than upon mere COM
mercial exploitation and the selfish
interests of a narrow circle of finan-
ciers extending their enterprises to
the ends of the earth, and the extern
sion of the assistance of the govern
ment to those many programs of up
lift and betterment to which some of
the best minds of our age have turned
with wise hope and ardor.
There is much to be done, and 1t
must be done in the right spirit and in
the right way, or it will deepen our
troubles, not relieve them. The tariff
question must be solved in the interest
of those who work and spend and plan
and struggle, those who are finding a
foothold and working out a career,
those who touch the sources of
strength and are quick with the pulse
OF a common life, for the sake of 1.-The
power that tills the fields and builds
the cities" and not for the sake OF
| special groups of men who dominate
and control their fellows and regard
the toll of millions of men merely as
an opportunity to make use of their
established advantage II must be
handled very prudently, so that no
honest toll may be interrupted, no hon
orable or useful enterprise disturbed
must be dealt with by slow stages OF
well considered change-change whose
object shall be to restore and broaden
opportunity, and destroy nothing but
special privilege and unwholesome con
troll. Those who handle it, therefore
must be men who understand the gen
eral interest and have devoted them
selves to serving it without fear OIL
favor.
The trust question must be dealt
with in the same way with this dis
tinct and single program, to destroy
monopoly and TO leave business intact
to give those who conduct enterprise
no advantage except that which comes
by efficiency, energy and sagacity
those only fountains of honorable
wealth, every man rewarded according
to his insight and enterprise and ser
vice. his mastery in an open field Cur
rency and banking questions must b,
discussed and settled in the interes
of those who use credit. produce tht
crops, manufacture the goods, anC
quicken the commerce of the nation
rather than in the interest of tn,
banker and the promoter and the cap
tain Of finance, who if set OF by them
selves in the management OF sucl
things. too easily lose sight even o
their own intimate and inssparable re
lation to the general needs and inter
ests Of the rank and file Forests mus
be renewed, and mines and waite
courses must be husbanded and pre-
served, as if We were trustees for al
generations, not merely for our OWL
for the sake of communities and ns