The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-08-13

in ability or in merit; it sim
ply means that all shall stand equal
before the law and that government
officials shall not in making, con-
STRUNG or enforcing the law, discrimi-
nate between citizens.
Il assert that property rights as we'll
as the rights of persons, are safe in the
hands of the common people. Abra~
ham Lincoln, in his message sent to
congress in December, 1861, said; No
men living are more worthy to be
trusted than those who toll up from
poverty, none less inclined to take or
touch aught which they have not hon.
estly earned I repeat his language
with unqualified approval and join
with him in the warning which he ad,
ded, namely: Let them beware of
surrendering a political power, which
they already possess and which if sur
rendered, will surely be used to close
the doors of advancement against such
as they, and to fix new disabilities and
burdens upon them till all of liberty
shall be lost
Those who daily follow the injunc-
ton In the sweat of thy face shalt
thou break bread now as they ever
have been are the bulwark of law and
order, the source of our nations great
ness in time of peace and its surest de-
tenders in time of war.
but have only read part of Jack
sons utterances-let me give you his
conclusion that when the laws under
take to add to those natural and just
advantages, artificial distinctions-to
grant titles. GRANTEES, and exclusive
prfvileges-to make the rich richer and
the potent more pOwerful-the humble
members of society-the farmers, me-
chanics and the day laborers who have
neither the time nor the means of Sc
curing like favors for themselves have
a right to complain of the injustice of
their government
Those who support the Chicago plat
forum endorse all the quotations from
Jacksonville latter part as Well as the
former part.
THOSE ARRAYED AGAINST.
I'VE are not surprised to find arrayed
ed against US, those who are beneficiar-
les of government Notwithstanding
have read our platform. Nor are we
surprised to learn that we must in
this campaign face those who find
pecuniary advantage in advocating the
doctrine of non-interference with
great aggregations of wealth are tres
passing upon the rights of individuals
we welcome such opposition as the
highest endorsement which could be
bestowed upon US. We are content to
have the cooperation of those who de-
sire to have the government admins
tered without fear or favor. It is not
the wish of the general public that
trusts should spring into existence and
override the weaker members of So
ciety; it is not the wish of the general
public that these trusts should destroy
competition and then collect such tau
as they will from those who are at
their mercy nor the fault of the gen.
eral public that public instrumentali-
ties have been so often prostituted to
purposes of private gain. Those who
stand upon the Chicago platform be-
lieve that the government should not
only avoid wrong doing but that il
should also prevent wrong doing; and
they believe that the law should be en-
forced alike against all of the enemies
of the public veal. They do not ex-
cuse petit larceny, but they declare
that grand larceny is equally a crime;
they do not defend the occupation of
the highwaymen who rob the unsus>
pecting traveller but they include
among the transgressors those who
through the less hazardous means of
legislation, appropriate to their own
use the proceeds of toll of others.
THE commandment Thou shalt not
steal Numbered from Sinai and reit-
Grated in the legislation of all nations,
is no respector of persons. 1t must be
applied to the great as well as the
small, to the strong as we'll as to the
weak; to the corporate person created
by law as we'll as to the person of flesh
and blood created by the Almighty.
No government is worthy of the name
which is not able to protect from every
arm uplifted for his injury, the hum
blest citizen who lives beneath the
flag.
1T follows as a necessary con-
clusion that vicious legislation
must be remedied by the men who suf-
fer from the effects of such legislation
and not by thoes who enjoy its bene-
fits