The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1895-08-30
nANaERs Id 80 $1,000.


century demand at the hands of the
American people equal if not greater
vigilance.
Can a government by the people and
for the people be perpetuated under
the conditions with which we are con
fronted? Every intelligent and pat
riotic citizen who has given the subject
any serious thought cannot have failed
to perceive the existence Of alarming
symptoms in our body polite. The
most dangerous of these symptoms are
pointed out by Professor Judson of the
University of Chicago in tbs initial
number Of The American Journal Of
Sociology, which has just made its ap-
pearance. Under the caption, "Is Our
Republic Failure?" Professor Judson
reviews the marked changes that have
taken place within the past quarter Of
a century in our system of government.
Speaking of the transition from the
implicitly of the fathers to the degen-
eracy Of later days, we are reminded of
the fact that the colonies revolted be-
cause they were taxed but not repre-
sented. They insisted upon being
taxed by their own legislatures they
we're the representatives of the people
and surely the people could govern
Aemselves. Gradually it was learned
that these representatives could not be
trusted. This was a surprising reYela-
ton. In the effort to guard the public
against these agents of the public O2r
state constitutions have been loaded
with restrictions on the legislative
power. The appointing power and veto
power of the governor have been great
ly strengthened. The courts have been
carefully vested with power of scrut-
inizing legislation and multiplying such
as conflicts with the organic law. In
the first constitution Of the state of
New York almost nothing was express
ly forbidden to the legislature. In the
last constitution of that state there are
pages of distinct prohibitions on the
legislature and a considerable number
of powers once legislative have been
vested in other authorities. The same
is true of the modern constitution of
other states. These restrictions on leg
islative power apply equally to the gov
ernments Of large cities.
"The development of our organic law
since the republic was founded" says
Professor Judson. exhibits a growing
distrust of legislatures and an inces-
SAINT multiplication of measures calcu-
lated to hedge them about with restric-
tiOns. Nothing is more common than
the opinion that our legislative bodies,
from congress to the common council,
are both ignorant and venal. The per-
iodical adjournment Of our state legis-
latures is usually welcomed with a sigh
of relief. 1t is we'll understood that
these bodies as a rule are not indie
pendent lawmakers. They move only
as the wires are pulled by their various
masters, political and financial The
faint of jobbery and bribery infects
them. The lobby has come to be called
the third house, and the lobby as a
rule means bribery, direct OF indirect.
1t is a regular thing for 'sandbagging'
bills to be introduced, whose only OBJ
ject is to extort money from wealthy
interests which the bills threaten. And,
on the other hand, the most sRlutary
measures often fail if they antagonize
the profits of powerful corporations.
Meanwhile legitimate legislative bust
ness is choked by a mass of bills, while
the vicious committee system puts it
in the power of small cliques to smoth-
er at will almost any measure they
please. Our legislatures are no longer
deliberative bodies. As to our city
councils, the very name in our large
cities has become malodorous. We are
surprised and thankful if one more
than third in such a body will occa-
sionally vote against corrupt measures.
"a second grave fact which confronts
US is the actual tyranny which prevails
at too many points and at too many
times in the republic. One form of
this is the tyranny ofaggregated wealth.
1t is too late a day in the history of
modern society to depIore the union of
capital in masses for the accomplish
ment Of ends which can only be at
tanned by vast financial power. The
achievements of today consist in the
application Of tremendous controlled
energies in the overcoming of gigantic
obstacles. In all the infinity of great
undertakings which engage the rest
less activities Of our leaders of indus
try capital is demanded, not in thous-
ands, but in millions in millions.
but IN hundreds of millions. But in
welding great resources for the at
teinment Of grand results the indivi-
dual mas withered. The rights and in
terests Of a single puny human unit, if
in the way, are crushed as if by e car
of Jaggernaut The legal fiction Of q
.souIless corporation is the expression
Of q biting social fact. The corpora
ton has no soul. It has no heart. It
is onIy a brain and muscular, grasp
ing hand And SO it is that ia dealing
VITA employees and il dealing with the
pubic our CORPORATIONS are in fact ton