Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1916-10-19

sui Is the same, for, while such a
Judge may be regarded as safe and
sane by those special interests. the
vision is a narrow one when regarded
from the standpoint OF all the people.
So It is we find Mr.. Hughes satisfac-
tory to Wall Street. because his men
tai attitude squares with the view of
big business rather than the Progress
sive view that this country belongs to
the people who inhabit It, and that
they have a right TO control its affairs
and enjoy the full measure of the
rights declared in the Declaration Of
Independence.
Although the contest for human
rights has been waging in the country
for several years past, the records
disclose thai Mr.. Hughes has not even
been sufficiently interested to cast his
vote for six years, and though he now,
as 100 per cent candidate, declares he
favors the suffrage for the women, it
appears he was not sufficiently inter-
ested to cast his vote in the election
in his state on this vital question of
human rights. Over against this we
see President Wilson, the progressive,
a man whose kindly, sympathetic men
tai attitude is as different from that
of MI. Hughes as was that of Abra-
ham Lincoln from men Of the charae-
ter of Penrose and Barnes. Mr.. VIII
son always votes, and, though con
stantly engaged with. his huge legisla-
tive program, and in steering the
ship of state midst the flaming waves
of war on every hand so as to main
tain the happiness of his country, at
least found time to go to his state and
give his vote on the side of human
rights toward enfranchising the won.
en- of New Jersey. Indeed, on looking
into the matter l discovered Mr..
Hughes mental attitude to be that Of
the reactionary type, while Mr.. Will
son stood as a progressive.
There is a dual leadership in both of
the old political parties. Barnes, Pen
rose, Crane, Smoot and others, who
dominate and control the Republican
party organization, it is well known,
are in alliance with the big business
interests of the country, to conserve
and protect them at all hazards, not
outstanding the interests of the plain
people. On the other hand, there are
certain gentlemen in the Republican
party, such as Senators LaFollette,
Cummins, Kenyon, Clapp and others,
who represent the Progressive view
and frequently stand, when a conflict
of interest arises between the rights
of humanity and those of property, on
the side of the people. But the old
reactionary crowd controls the Re-
publican party as an instrument Of
government. There is, not and there
can be no distinction as to the hon
esty and high purpose of the men and
women who constitute the member
ship of the Republican party, the Dem
ocratic party, the Progressive and 9th
er parties. In speaking of political
parties we intend only the party as
used as an instrument of government;
that is, through which good people are
affiliated together, following after one
leadership or another in whatever di-
rection those leaders may lead, &C.
cording to their bent of mind. There
are likewise two leaderships in the
Democratic party. Charles F. Muir
ply of Tammany Hall and others rep
resent the same interests in the Dem
ocratic party as do those first named
in the Republican party, while Presi-
dent Wilson and those who cooperate
with him represent the Progressive
view. At the moment, however, it ap-
pears that the old reactionary crowd
is in control Of the Republican party
and dictates its policies and affairs,
while Mr.. Wilson and those who adj
here to his views dominate. the Demo
cratic party; that is to say the pro-
gressive element Of the Democratic
party is clearly In the ascendancy and
directs the course of the party as an
instrument of government under the
leadership of Mr.. Wilson. AS evil
dence of this 1t Is necessary to do no
more than cite the progressive legis-
lative accomplishments of Democracy
under Mr.. Wilson's leadership.
One Of the leading features of the
Progressive platform in 1912 was our
plank demanding a revision of the cur
rency and banking laws so as to intro
duce a degree of elasticity in the mat
ter Of u currency. Under the old
banking law the money was gotten
out of the treasury by men who had a
certain character of bonds to deposit |
therefor, under the pretext of moving
the crops a time or two each year. AS |
a rule, some IL to 20 New York fl
nanciers controlled the securities es-
sential to draw the currency from the
treasury, and by this means they &C.
CURED control Of the great volume of
our circulating medium. Having ac-
CURED this control, they would let it
out as they chose. 1t was in their
power to either expand on contract
the currency as they saw fit and send
the prices up and down at the expense
of the whole people. 1t was also with
In their power to start a panic as they
saw fit, and, as everyone knows, thew
did start the John Smith panic at the
close of the Roosevelt administration
to crush him and to eliminate him as
a possible political factor of the fu-
ture. The Progressive party declared
against the. central bank idea adyo-
Gated by Aldrich and the control of
the currency by the few and in favor
OF the decentralization plan. President
Wilson took the matter UP immedi.
ately after his election, and through
strenuous efforts over the unbending
opposition of certain New York finan-
ciers, who had heretofore enjoyed the
special privilege, finally induced the
Congress to enact and he signed the
federal reserve law. This, in my judg-
ment, is the greatest piece of legisla-
tion in favor Of the business Of the
country which has been written on