Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-08-20

From noon today 10 noon tomorrowD
Sun sets 6:5l. rises 5:16. Evening
stars: Mercury. Venus. Mars. Jupiter.
Morning star: Saturn.
the people Of this country that hun
dred men should control its business
TO the good OF everyone, that there is
anything fallacious in the theory that
government instead Of transferring
business to a favored few for the bene-
fit OF all should itself discharge that
business for the benefit of all? have
never been able to convince myself
that either system would not cast
pail over human action and dull the
motives which have heretofore moved
mankind TO the very loftiest endeavor
and produced what l conceive to be
the most perfect system OF government
ever devised by the brain Of man since
that far-off theocracy of the Jew went
down beneath his demand for the pomp
and splendor of earthly power. And
yet. ! do not hesitate 70 say that il II
be impossible to restore this republic
20 its ancient ideals. which l do not
believe, and | must make the ultimate
/ choice between the paternalism of the
' few and the socialism of the many,
count me and my house with the throb-
/ bing heart OF humanity.
THE discomfort in republican ranks
is democratic discomfort. How much
of It has reached the point where
wearied with the bad workings Of a
good system. Il is willing to topple
that system over and try something
new, cannot prophesy. But am
quite sure that whatever badges men
may wear in America this year, what
ever ballots they may cast and what
ever battle-cries they may utter, there
are but three grades Of citizens.
EAGLE EMBLEM OF POWER.
The first grade is made up of the
favored few, their hangers-On and their
beneficisries. who think the eagle is
upon the dollar. not as an emblem of
liberty but as an emblem of power and
who look upon government as an annex
TO their business affairs; these are
they who in the past years OF repub,
lican misrule have turned the temple
of constitutional freedom into a money
changers mart and have made of the
coordinate branches of government
obeisant lackeys OF the jingling guinea
The second grade consists of those
whose outlook upon life has been en-,
larged by the civilization under which
} We live, who have been taught by the
; school and the college, by the press
and the magazine, who appreciate and
) enjoy the good things of life, whose
horizon has been enlarged and whose
capacity for Joy and sorrow has been
increased. Year after year, they have
: seen the boundless resources OF the
richest country the sun ever shone
, upon, pass into the control of the
favored few. They have observed thai
= the laws have been enacted, construed
and enforced so that struggle as they
will, and act as they may. they see be
fore them naught but long years o.
! servitude and certain poverty at the
end.
CONDITIONS UNBEARABLE.
Conditions have become unbearabl,
TO them They hesitate to hope FOL
reform so often has It been promised
to them and so often has it been denied
They have reached the point where
. in the struggle for that which the,
believe to be right they are willing Il
destroy the ideals OF the republic. How
many there are Of these, do not know
but l do know that special privileg,
IN the republic is breeding them da,
by day like rabbits in a warren.
The third grade Of citizens 1t please
3 me TO call Old-fashioned constitutional
5 democrats. These are they who be
! lievs that the equality Of mankind doe
not consist in an equality OF brain an
D Drawn but in an equality whereb
every man, native and foreign-born. ha
an inalienAble right to exercise all O
his ability IN getting on in the worl
I Just so he realizes that in getting OF
Q he owes II TO himself, TO his family an
O 10 the republic TO see to Il that b
o gets on honestly and that he does No
prevent any other man from obtainin
y the reward Of his honesty and entel
8 prise. These old-fashioned democrat
8 believe in making money but they b,
q lieve that every dollar made shoul
< be 50 clean that an infant may cut it
:. teeth upon Il They hold thar Il
4 no part Of government 70 boost on
l. man and to boot another, and that an
p system OF government which enable
n one man 70 take advantage Of anotl
er is not a system under which
democratic condition Of life can thriv,