The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-03-15
PINGREE ON rRUsrs.


IF I were in President McKinley's
place should have law enacted pro-
Vlding for a tariff commission to resu-
late the whole question of revenue for
the government. While 1 believe in
protection, I have no sympathy what
ever for trusts, and if 1 were in Mr..
Mckinley's place, every time one of
these combines was formed to raise
the prices / would have the tariff COM
mission empowered to take off all du-
ties on the trusts product, and then
we should have free trade with a ven
geance.
''As regards gas and other kinds of
monopolies, the municipalities should
either control or own them, and have
the same power to regulate them that
is exercised over hacks and CARRIAGES
Indeed, our municipalities should as
sumo control of water, gas and street
car tracks.
THE trouble with our country today
, is that there is too much dishonesty on
all sides. Incorporated bodies desire
the control of everything and want to
run things to suit themselves. They in
fiuence congress and state legislature
TO such an extent that scandals are
cropping out every now and then.
Look at the big scandal that the
sugar trust raised in Washington a year
ago, when one OF the senators was
found investing in sugar certificates.
And then look at the list of watered
stocks we have all over the country,
The innocent stockholders are squeezed
III OTQ6I lIldl d rev men on the INSIDE
may hog everything.
I'VE have got to come back to first
principles and get on an honest basis
before this country can prosper. Just
look at the railroad corporations that
are in receivers hands! If you investi-
gate the matter carefully you will find
that in the majority of cases there has
been bad management. stock jobbing
or some peculiar business methods en-
ployed by which the big fish in the pud-
die swallow up the little ones.
Most of the bank failures within the
past six months have been the result of
dishonesty.
You don't hear of the Pullman or
Wagner companies being in bankruptcy,
nor do you often notice that ex-
press company or a merchants dis
Germ has gone into the hands of a re
ceiver These are wheels within wheels
and organized for the purpose of max
ing money for the railroad magnates
at the expense of the mass of stock
holders of the railroad.
This country is trust-ridden. It's
only a question of time, unless some
thing is done very soon, when we will
have revolution upon us. Things are
running towards the government own
ership of railroads and the people are
demanding this more and more. Each
state should know what it's railroads
are doing. 1t should stop them from
overcapitalizing and hold them down to
legitimate business, so that people can
invest in their stocks with safety.
"A railroad should be compelled to
do business in an honest way and not
.be allowed to water its stock. If an
officer of such corporation offers wat
cred stock for sale he should be treated
as a man who obtains money under
false pretenses or as a green goods
man and punished accordingly
Il believe in vested rights, but don't
believe that the managers of railroads
should be allowed to rob the people
who have their money invested in rail-
road stock.
THE majority of the manufacturers
of this country are in straitened cir
custanceS and are at the mercy of the
moneyed classes. The big, fish are eat
ing up the little ones. If this thing
keeps up we shall have a revolution
pressed by the rich as much in this
country as the Cubans are by the Span
iards.
The trouble with the people is that
they cannot make out a good case.
That is to say, they cannot prove that
certain men in high positions arescoun-
drels. I fully agree with Andrew Car
negie, the iron king, that the man who
dies possessed of many millions dies
disgraced. If a man like John Rookie
Teller were not allowed to give a dol
lar to a college or a church don't you
suppose he would be soon exxecrated
for piling up his ill-gOtten gains? Moth
ing upsets a man so much as to know
that he is not respected. Just look
how Russell Sage loads down the plate
in New York.
IF such a law were passed, cutting
off these so-called philantropists from
being permitted to veneer their rob-
berries and ill-gotten gains by donations
and charities, we should soon see the
plutocrats pass off the plane of action
and become less hoggish and more hu-
man.
IF I had the making of only one law
for the country it would be this.