Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-05-27

makes every other seem trivial
and negligible, is the winning
of the war. We are not only in
the midst of the war; we are at
the very peak and crisis of it.
Hundreds of thousands of our
men, carrying our hearts with
them and our fortunes, are in
the field and ships are crowd
ing faster and faster to the
ports of France and England
with regiment after regiment,
thousands after thousand, to
Join them until the enemy shall
be beaten and brought to a
reckoning with mankind. There
can be no pause or intermis-
sion. The great enterprise
must, on the contrary, be push
ed with greater and greater
energy. The volume of our
might must steadily and rapid
~ be augmented until there can
be no question of resisting il.
If that is to be accomplished,
gentlemen. moLey must sus-
Cial program must no more be
left in doubt or suffered TO lag
than our ordnance program or
our ship building or our NUM-
lions program. These others
are not programs. indeed, but
mere plans upon paper, unless
there is to be an unquestiOn-
n 90
"POlitics Adjourned"
That is the situation, and it
is the situation which creates
the duty, no choice or prefer
enCe of ours. There is only
one way to meet that duty. We
must meet it without selfish
ness or fear of consequences.
Politics is adjourned. The cleo
lions will go to those who think
least of it, to those who go to
the constituencies without eX-
PLANTATION or excuses, with a
plain record of duty faithfully
and disinterestedly performed.
l, for one, am always confident
that the people of this country
Will give just verdict upon
the service of the men who act
for them when the facts are
such that no man can disguise
or conceal them. There is not
danger of deceit now. An in
tense and pitiless light beats
upon every man and every ac-
ton in this tragic plot of war
that is now upon the stage. If
lobbyists hurry to Washington
to attempt to turn what you do
in the matter of taxation to
their protection or advantage,
the light will beat also upon
them. There is abundant fuel
for the light in the records of
the treasury with regards to
profits of every sort. The prof
iteering that cannot be got at
by the restraints of conscience
and loce of country can be got
at by taxation. There is such
profteering now and the infor-
nation with regard to it is
available and indisputable.
Shares in Responsibility.
l am advising you to act
upon this matter of taxation
now, gentlemen, not because l
do not know that you can see
and interpret the facts and the
duty they impose just as well
and with as clear a perception
of the obligations involved as l
can, but because there is a GER
tain solemn satisfaction in
sharing with you the response
bilities of such a time The
world never stood in such
case before. Men never before
had so clear or so moving
vision OF duty. l know that
you will begrudge the work to
be done here by us no more
than the men begrudge US
theirs who lie in the trenches
and sally forth to their death.
There is a stimulating COM
radeship knitting US all togeth-
er. And this task TO which
invite your immediate consid-
Grafton will be performed I'M
der favorable influences If we
will look to what the country is
thinking and expecting and care
nothing at all for what is be
ing said and believed in the
Hobbies Of Washington hotels,
where the atmosphere seems to
make IT possible TO believe what
is believed nowhere else.
Says People Understand.
Have you not felt the spirit
of the nation rise and It's
thought become a single and
common thought since these
eventfuI days came in which
we have been sending our boys
to the other side? ! think you
must read that thought, as | do.
TO mean this, that the people OF
this country are not only unit
ed in the resolute purpose TO
win this war, but are ready and
willing TO bear any burden and
undergo any sacrifice that ii
NAV be necessary for them 10
bear in order TO win il. We
need not be afraid 10 tax them,
If we lay taxes justly. They
know that the war must be