Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-03-04

our ears. the solemn. moving under
tone of our ufe. coming up out OF the
mines and factories and out Of every
home where the struggle had its init
mate and familiar seat With the
great government went many deep Sc
cret things which we TOO long delayed
10 look into ana scrutiuize with can
did. fearless eyes. The great govern
ment we loved has too often been
made use or for private and selfish
purposes. and those who used II had
forgotten the peopie.
DUTY OF AMERICANS OUTLINED
At last q vision has been vouchsafeH
Us OF our life as a whole. We see the
bad with the good. the debased and
decadent with the sound and vital
With this vision we approach new at
fairs our duty is to cleanse, to re
consider. TO restore. TO correct the evil
without impairing the good, to purify
and humanize every process Of our
common life without weakening or
sentimentalizing IL. There has been
something crude and heart!ess and IN
lttlluE III OuI udGlc ~ SHNNEEh anu bN
great Our thought mas been. Let ev-
cry man look out for himself; let ev-
cry generation look out for itself"
while we reared giant machinery which
made IL impossible that any but those
who stood at the levers OF control!
should have chance 20 look out for
themselves. We bad not forgotten our
morals. We remembered well enough
that we had set up policy which was
meant 10 serve the humblest az well as
the most powerful. with an eve single
TO the standards OF justice and fair
play. and remembered II with pride
But we were very needless and In q
hurry 10 be great.
We have come now to the sober sec
ond thought. The scales Of needless
ness have fallen from our eyes. We
have made up our minds to square ev-
cry process Of our national life again
with the standards we so proudly set
up at the beginning and have always
carried at our hearts. Our work is a
work OF restoration.
THINGS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED
We have itemized with some degree
OF particularly the things that ought
10 be altered. and here are some of the
chief items: A tariff which cuts us of
| from our proper part In the commerce
OF the world. violates the just princi-
| pies OF taxation and makes the govern
meut a fncile instrument in the hands
Of private interests: "A hanking and cur
/ rency system based upon the neceSSi ~
/ Of the government 10 sell its bonds fifty
years ago and perfectly adapted to con-
centratinG cash and restricting credits;
T an Industrial system which. take il on
/ all It's sides. tinHncial as well as ad-
miniStrativp. holds capital in leading
strings. restricts the liberties and lin,
its the opportunities of labor and cy
/ PLOTS without renewing or conserving
; the NATURAL resources ~ the country: n
body Of agricultural activities never
/ yet given the efficiency Of great 0USi,
. ness undertakings -" S"r-"i - II
should br through the iustrumpntality
I ~ science taken directly 20 the farm
/ or afforded the facilities ct credit best
suited 10 it, practical needs. water
cours'.S un'ry,luped. waste places IN
rcrInIr."I forests uprrudrd fast dis
appearing without plan or prospect 0i
renewal gIrr-Grdef waste heaps N
every mine We have studied as per
haus no other nation has the most Of
fcctivr mpHuS ~ production. but We
Eayr not studied cost az economy "a,