Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-28
TELLS PLAINLY HoWHE STANDS
WOULD CONTROL, but NOT DE-
sTROY, CORPORATIONS.
Would Limit Them to the Privileges
That individuals EnjOy-FnVors
Both Gold and Silver for
MOney-He Is Against
Protection.

O'Clock, the galleries and lobby of Rep
resentative hall were crowded with peO-
pie who had assembled TO witness the max
ing of new senator. Promptly at high
noon the senator's filed into the house in
q body and were given seats Immediately
surrounding the speakers 5 desk. Lieuten-
ant Governor Harvey acted as chief of
ceremonies. The roll call Of each house
was made by the respective clerks and the
journals of the previous day, showing the
result of the ballot OF the election for sem
ator, were read. When this was finished,
MIR. Harvey said: "a majority Of each
house having voted for Colonel WA, sHar-
ris to succeed Hon. w. A, PETER, I de-
clare him elected United States senator. -
The clerks then were instructed to make
out the certificate. While they were doing
it, Lobdell, of Lane. moved that Mr. Harris
be escorted to the stand and to make somd
remarks Harvey selected Lobdells Bbikin
and Forney as a committee to escort tho
newly elected senator TO the stand.
II was all Senator Harris could do Ia
choke down the Jumps I'm his throat as
he commenced TO speak, He finally got
Strengthened out and made Il pretty fair
Populist speech in accepting the honor!
He said;
Kansas Legislature:-Wheu L consider the
high honor that you have conferred upon
me. and when / think of the. confidence
G~IE
tives In the senate of the United States of
this great state, L feel that any words of
thanks that ! may utter will seem utterly
stale fiat and insufficient. However l de-
sire 10 say that deeply, profoundly and
gratefully. from the bottom OF my heart, /
thank you.
Il am not ashamed 10 say. also, that
when / consider the vast Responsibilities
resting upon me TO adequately represent
the interests of this great state sando 10
maintain her place as one of the brightest
10 tVa uaHaF q TFVaFT. i .
retain your generous confidence. / am not
without fear and missiving. If ii we're
possible fpr you to find combined in one
man the magnificent eioqueFce of Ingalls,,
lamented Plumb. and the absolute faithful
ness and integrity OF PETER, then, indeed,
you might have a representative worthy
Of the position So far as am concerned.
all my tastes have lain in the direction
OF the plain, simple, frank manners and
methods of the country. Accordingly you
VIII not expect Of me any brilliant rhetoric
or skiliful political maneuvering in the dis
charge of my duty. / shall endeavoF. in a
simple, unaffected, practical and manly
way TO maintain the cause intrustedr 70
an the consideration of the great prob
lens that are before us, IL must be constu.
cred that there has been no lack In this
great country of ours in the production of
all things that constitute material wealth.
Our ability to produce all that IL brought
from the bowels OF the earth or thgt Is
by the skill of artist and of the mechanic
IL the most wonderful story of human
achievements. We may, therefore. wonder
why. with this fabulous store of wealth
surrounding US on every hand, there is not
that general diffusion of prosperity and
contentment and happiness that might
Ihlrly be expected. Certainly the want or
the evil, or the weakness, must lie chiefly
IN the methods by which this vast wealth
Is, or should be, distributed among the. Deo-
pie. In the great work of distribution the
two factors which are of greatest iInport-
ance are finance and transportation II Is
not strange, therefore, that the public
mind, everywhere, should be concentrated
upon these two questions as of prime inn
portance and vital interest.
When we come TO solve the questions
pertalhlns 70 these, we ind, first, that the
use OF great corporate power is absolutely
essential. No great work requiring the cone
centrated efforts of many men and reuuir-
oI any human life, can be effected without
the aid of these artificial creations II is
absolutely necessary that we should have
corporations and IL is, therefore, not
against corporations In themselves that
any reasonable or legitimate objection can
be made. II is equally and unquestionably
true thHt the abuse of corporate power its
extension beyond its proper legal sphere
and It's encroachment upon the field of in
uiNldual action, has attracted the atten-
uon OF The ablest minds Of the country re-
Eardless of party: and IL is therefore I
think in the direction of the correction of
1hese abuses that practicaL reasonable and
From the time of the Dartmouth college
9ecislon down TO to-day, there seems TO
have been mapped out a field exclusively
occupied by corporations. which to the aV-
erage private citizen. seems strange and
mysterious. They have been endowed with
rights which are wholly different from
1hose which are exercised by the natural
citizen. They have been given mowers
vastly in excess of his. and. without lirni-
latlon or restriction, are permitted to go in
many directions altogether and entirely be-
Sond the rights accorded TO natural citi-
zenS. II seems TO me that the same rules
of equity and justice which are observed Inv
all mankind in their natural Relations viii
each other should not be made of no effect
ana should apply with the same infallible
ana automatic strictness to the opera ffon
OF corporations. II the private citizen can
not claim that his debts or the interest on
MS debts constitute a part of his capital,
10 be regarded as essential TO be prOyidrd
Tor before he can he charged with fba
amount OF his income. then II seems 10 me
equally true that a corporation should he
plNeSted OF That peculiar right If IL is
true that an individual Is limited In his
ability to escape liability and Is held rigid
~ 70 the performance Of contracts, then
u should be equally true that the artificial
citizen. created by legislative enactment
should he confined even mere. rigidIy he.
Sduse "a. ol lls great power. TO the same hon
est performance OF duty.
IN the matter OF hnanciH policy. while
an individual IS deprived OF the right 10
circulate as money his notes then there is
no reason why an aggrogatione of indiyid-
uals should be endowed with the; powef "a
absolutely contract and determine the to.
tnl volume OF that which is usually called
money ana 10 usurp the functions of sover-
eiEn power. If u Is true. AS we have bpen
taught for ages that the automatic theory
OF The supply by nature of the two precious
metals should be the only measure of and
tho only restriction upon. the volume OF
the basic money. and thai labor rs auplied
10 the production of the two precious met.
ais constitutes the most certain and uu-
wavoring measure or values then II Is
equally true that the supply of the pre.
Cious metals thus obtained should not be
1nterfered with in behalf of any class OIL
special interest. The wnofe automatic The.
ory Is dependent for its acceptance Ivy the
human race upon the fact that labor is
the only means by which gold and silver
can bc obtained, and that IL is. therefore
placed beyond human weakness Ignorance
or dishonesty TO have any effect mpon The
total supply. The moment this is inter.
Tered with. and the So-called superior in.
tclliSence If a certain class steps into take
the place of Providence in providing fhf
total amount Of The two metals, the whole
argument for metallic money falls to the
ground and we might at once abandon
hoth and have recourse to the action OF
the collective wisdom OF the whole pcop1d
through their legislative bodies and pre-.
scribe the amount and material of which
money shall be made.
The great commoner. Burke In defend.
Ing WoodfHll on the floor of the house OF
commons. declaimed; The collective wis.
dom OF the whole people is more 20 he de.
pended upon i'm the decision OF all constf-
tuttonal matters, than the discernment OF
all the sages OF Westminster hail. In this
great republic IL Is the absolute founda-
tion upon which all government results, and
II Is more TO be depended upon and trusted
than the arrogant dicta OF the so-called
experts whose opinions are so often shad.
ed and affected by direct or indirect inter.
eSts.
"on the tariff. In Difference TO the ex.
pressed Will OF The people. 1 shall, while
recording and explaining my vote as on,
posed 20 the ideH of protection as the es.
genital element In our fiscal policies, enter