Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 265, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 November 1910 — SIDE TALKS ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS [ARTICLE]

SIDE TALKS ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS

By Old John Henry.

To the Editor: . I read In my daily paper wheru Senator Beveridge nays, In Davieas county: '‘You might an well underatand that I prefer to go out of public life rather than to get a quiet whisper from some little boas aa to what I shall do for the American people." That Is pretty, plain talk. To my notion, It Is Juat about the right stuff. Them’s my sentiments, too. I glory In Beveridge’s spunk. He sums up the whole Indiana campaign; he tells his whole story in that declaration. It Is 1776 all over. It Is Lincoln's Cooper Institute speech, echoing down from the heights of Immolation to the listening millions. . I read today what Lincoln said In that great speech in 1860. He closed with these words: "Neither let us be slandered from our duty by false accusations against us, nor frightened from It by' menaces of destruction to the government, nor of dungeons to ourselves. Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith let us to the end dare to do our duty as we understand it." Courage? Sublime. Sincerity? Absolute.- Righteousness? Full and complete. "Right makes might" today as It did in Lincoln’s time. Lincoln had faith in the people. The people justified that faith. The people In tha mass did not fail Lincoln nor abandon the Union. The masses stood fast for the right as God gave them to see the right. The voters in the mass persisted not only In voting right, hut In fighting with all their might in the cause of right. And the people conquered. Government of the people, for the people, did not perish from the earth.——— —■ “Let us to the end dare to do our duty.” “I prefer to go out of public life rather than to get a whisper from some little boss as to what I shall do for the American people." “Neither let us be slandered from our duty nor frightened by menaces of destruction.” Think over these words of Lincoln and of Beveridge. And then look at the other side where Taggartism rules. “I will meet you at room No. 370, Denison hotel, Sunday afternoon,” is the message sent forth by Thomas Taggart last week to Democratic candidates and workers. John W. Kern, candidate for United States senator, was favored with one of the summonses. What did Kern do when he got Taggart’s order? Kern dropped everything and hustled to room 370, Denison hotel to see Tom Taggart. The boss had word for Kem, and Kern hurried to give ear to the oracle. And who Is Taggart, and what Is Taggartism?. Taggart Is the Casino man of French Lick Infamy. He Is the political agent of every crooked speolal Interest from the book trust to Standard OH, and back to the asphalt trust, the railroads, the public service coalitions and the liquor interests. Taggart defies all laws, violates all decencies, shames the vicious, betrays all, slanders where he cannot control and fattens wherever political dominance can he coined into persona! profit. Taggartism today is a hold and brasen effort on Taggart's part to seize the state government, the legislature, and the supreme court, the congres.slonal delegation in house and senate, for the ends of the big interests whloh, from Wall street, fund him and enoourage him In his campaign. Taggart today has such control of his party organization and ticket that he Is prepared to reward his henchmen out of the public purse the mlnutw he succeeds In plaoing his followers in the offices. Never has Taggart been so open in his display of power. Never has he gone so far aB he has gone this year to prove to the people that he Is the big boss. Never has the anti-Tag-gart resentment among good people keen so deep-seated as it Is this year. We are going to the polls with our eyes wide-open. We are going to vote for progressive Republicanism, or we are going to vote for Taggartism triumphant. We are going to stand by the protective principle and the tariff commission, or wa are going to Invite Kern and chaos, with an attack on the doctrine of protection, and ihe uncertainty that comes with Democratic cross purposes. They ask us to vote for men who propose Champ Clark for speaker of the house, —Clark, who Bwears he would burn all the customs houses. Will we do it? They ask us to punish Beveridge for the good he has done, and reward Democrats for the failures they have made. Will we do It? Whatever your answer to these questions, vote, brother, vote , with care, and vote in the presence of your conscience. Above all, get out and vote, and see that your neighbor geta out and votes. The right to vote is the duty to vote. OLD JOHN HENRY