Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-02-07
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A. L. Williams, of Topeka, general attorney
for the Union Pacific road delivered a remark
able address last week, before the State Bar AS
sociation 1t may be called one of the signs o.
the times, and should not be overlooked. Mr.
Williams discussed the philosophy of our form
of government and called attention to the dan
gers which he thinks beset it. He is opposed
to the election of United States senators direct
ly by the people. He thinks the masses of the
people are likely to commit great follies; that
their representatives in the House care natur-
ally compelled to carry out any wild and Wis
ionary scheme proposed by them," and so con-
cludes that the senate should be so constituted
that it will not need to heed the voice of the
people, but may veto proposed legislation which
does not meet its approval.
Mr. Williams thinks the danger to our gov
ernnent is from the people themselves, whose
struggle for more power and larger liberty
simply means license, by which they may, un-
der the influence of passion or prejudice, inone
day, subver. the only free government the
world has ever known In other words the
people cannot be trusted.
This noted corporation attorney feels sure
that there is dangerous tendency in the Unit
ed States at present. He says: "In various
shapes and in various guises, the property of
the few is being confscated under the forms of
law. The rights of corporations are ignored,
and the very name is made synonym for in
fanny" According to this corporation calamity
howler, it is dangerous delusion to think that
this assault upon property is confined to cor
poratons and will go no further. What is true
to-day of one form of property, he says, will be
true tomorrow of any other form of property
held by less than a majority of the citizens.
We have all along supposed it was the common
people, the masses, whose property was being
gradually but surely coniscated into the hands
of the few, almost without even form of law,
but Mr.. Williams would have us believe lust
the reverse
This man-afraid- Of the people also depores
the assault made upon the judiciary 1t is a
common charge, he says, that the power of the
courts is too great, and with this now well-nieh
universal feeling he has little or no sympathy.
He thinks an elective judiciary unwise, because
judges dependent upon their constituents for
office "feel bound to regard the wishes of those
who elect them, to some extent at least" and
hence they should be chosen for life ratherthan
trust "to an unstable people for reelection"
Mr.. Williams quotes Swift as finding, after
careful reading of all history, that it was
false maxim that power is always safer lodged
in many hands than in one and he urges his
brother lawyers to dismiss political ambition,
accept political ostracism, become political mar
tyrs if need be- in their effort to teach the peo.
pie that they are in imminent danger from
themselves through the influence of dema-
gogues
This pessimistic wall in favor of the cor
porations, against reform in the senate or the
Judiciary against trusting free people to gov
ern themselves under the largest liberty comes
from leading Kansas attorney, is delivered be-
fore the State Bar Association, and is sienif-
cant pointer as to the attitude of corporation
lawyers and the purpose of great property in
terests in this country with reference to the
present social and industrial confict.-Man-
haitian Republic.
YES, PROSPERITY Is HERE. SURE.
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A busbeZ Of cOpJl bzl7Ie Three c;Guro