The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1914-10-26
PART TWO
Entering a New Era.

hypocrisy and cant When the his
tory OF our country is written for the
16 years preceding the present nation
al administration. 1t will show that
period to have been time Of standing
pat and pulling back; time when each
grabbed what he could and reached
for more, careless of whose rights hs
invaded time when the strong were
encouraged to band together to keep
what they had and take what they
could. So intent were they on getting
that they sometimes robbed each other
and picked the pockets OF their own
kind. as in the case OF the New York.
New Haven & Hartford railroad.
1t was an era of economic reveksion
to the law of tooth and claw.
Cant and Hypocrisy Supreme.
Cant and hypocrisy. say, were
everywhere. Those in high places
talked much and loudly OF robber
barons and malefactors Of great
wealth, then winked at railroad re-
bates to the barons and looked the
other way when the malefactors were
at work. They told US the trusts
were the great enemies Of the people,
and were fostered by an exorbitant
tariff, and they gave us relief by re-
vising the tarif-upwards. They said
our currency law was antiquated, in
adequate and unjust. permitting con-
troll Of our finances by favored few
and they gave us the panic Of 1907
to prove it--but they left the law un
touched of pen or pencil. They
pointed out the wickedness of inter-
locking directorates, of stock-watering
and Of unlawful combinations: but
they helped along the Tennessee Coal
and Iron deal, and permitted the
Mellen regime to 90 as far as it liked
in wrecking the railroads of New Eng
land They held up to us the justice
OF an income tax to eQualize the cost
of government by shifting a part OF
the burden of those who carried the
tariff load to those who profted by
the tariff. but they didn't give US the
law
Promises Broken for Cash.
They gave us half q generation Of
/ promises made to get votes. and
broken to get campaign contributions.
They preached one thing and praeticed
another until the nation was saturated
with hypocrisy, even as the govern
ment at Washington, And the vices OF
cant and hypocrisy triekled downward
from the national government into our
| business life and into our social life.
At last the people sickened of diet
Of cant; they revolted against the
partisanship that had maintained a
regime of hypocrisy; even those who
most earnestly believed in the benef-
cence of the party that had been so
long In power, and who most honestly
4 glorifed it's history. turned insurgent
upon the eliminating hypocrisy of tar
if revision upward. Then came the
Baltimore convention, and Illinois
made 1t possible to elect to the presi-
dency the greatest constructive states
man of the age-Woodrow Wilson.
Wilson Election Marks New Era.
His election was no partisan vic
tory; 1t was victory for right and
Justice and sincerity. 1t was victory
for the people of the United States.
With that event dawned new day for
our country. Honesty and fair dealing
with the people took the place OF
! nh hA in
learned that campaign promises could
be kept; that party pledge made be-
fore election became a party obliga.
ton after election.
President Wilson's election was a
reputation of cant, and 50 the day OF
hypocrisy is passing We are coming
to a new understanding of the word
honesty" BY it we do not now
mean mere dollar honesty; we mean
mental honesty as We'll We are upon
q time when the people demand men.
tai honesty In all their public officials;
when men in big business and in lit.
tie business viii find that they cannot
succeed through Misrepresentation
chicanery or deceit We are at point
where organized society must under
stand that life shall be a fair free and
open race, without special privileges
for anyone and without exemptions
from the penalties of wrong doing.
Days Of Sham Past.
We ara upon time when efficiency
is taking the place OF sham in govern.
mental affairs and in business affairs,
for when honesty controls, only eff
q cheney and good service avail
J. Only IS months have passed since
; President Wilson came into office, but
5 they have been months of achieve
j meut. OF efficiency. of real progress.
: Who today would undo what has been
{ done in these few months Where is
d the man. even the most narrow adj
, hereut of any party, who would dare
. TO advocate the blottiug cut Of one
= line of that record
But the constructive work Of the
- national administration has only fair,
e ~ begun Our party is pledged fur
(Cosunusd on Pass ?. Column 50