Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-06-18

him, that justice was denied to the
many and privilege accorded to the
few
We who in this contest are fighting
for the rights of the plain people, We
who are fighting for the right of the
people 20 rule themselves, need offer
no better proof of the fact that we are
fighting for all citizens. no matter
what their politics, than that which is
afforded by the action of that portion
Of the press which is controlled by
privilege, by the great special inter
ests in business. Newspapers of this
1 type are found in every part of the
, cOuntTy-in san Francisco, in Cincin-
natl, in Chicago and St. Louis. in Bos-
ton and Philadelphia But they are
strongest in New York. Some of these
newspapers are nominally democratic,
some nOminally republican, some nom
inally independent But in reality they
are true only to the real or fanCied
interests of the great capitalist class
by certain of whose members they are
controlled Sometimes the Interests
of this capitalist class are identical
with those OF the country as a whole.
and in that case these papers serve the
interests of the commonwealth. Some
times the interests of the capitalist
class are against the interests of the
people as a whole and in that case
these papers are hostile to the inter
ests of the commonwealth. But Meth
er their acting favorably 10 nor their
acting adversely to the interests of
the commonwealth is anything more
than an incident to their support of
the interests to which they are bound.
The great and far-reaChing evil of
their action is that they choke and
q foul the only channels of information
} open 10 so many honest and well
meaning citizens. The most prominent
. representatives of these papers in New
York and Massachusetts supported
Mr. Parker against me in 1904. Mr..
Parker was a democrat, but he was en-
tirely satisfactory to their masters,
and for the time being they ardently
did all they could TO overthrow the
republican party and to elect a dem
to be seriously talked about for the re.
publican nomination this year. these
papers. one and all turned republican
to the extent of becoming my furious
opponents and the furious champion
of Mr. Taft There is an element OF
pure comedy in reading in these pa
pers continual lamentations about the
I . / ~ L tF4u
up the republican party They them
4 selves did all they could 10 beat the
republican party when they thought
they could elect Mr.. Parker Now
/ these papers would eagerly champion
the republican party # they could keer
MI Taft as its nominee for president
IN the past. they have not concealed
their contempt for Mr. Taft, and none
Of them regard him in any way as a
4 leader
Friends. here in Chicago al this time
i you have great task before YOU
i wish YOU to realize deep in your hearts
4 that you are not merely facing a crisis
in the history Of a party. You arc
1 facing a crisis in the history Of a ma
4 ton; and what YOU do will have q!
appreciablc effect throughout the
( world al large Here in America we
the people. have a continent on which
10 work our destiny, and our faith fl
4 grca- that our men and women ar
4 f. 70 face the mighty DAYS Nowhere
R else N all the world is there such
3 chance for the triumph on d gigaati
scale Of tho great cause Of demOcra'i
and popular self-goyernment Il "a
fail. rhe failure viii be lam sntable
3 and oar heads viii be bowed wit
! shame: for not only shall We fail 70
! ourselves, but our failure will wrec
I the toHd desires Of all throughout n
4 world vino loCE toward us with n
( fond hope 1ha. here in this great u
Z public IT shall! he proven from ocean
4 ocean that the people can r1le then
4 selves. and thus rulin- can gain liEeri