Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-01-08
inconsistent with the Lincoln letter.
NO. a..

inconsistent with the Lincoln letter.
"When was in the legislature" said he,
81 defeated bill in committee of the whole
which which was twice recommended by Gov
ernor Martin, providing for the formation OF
corporations for all lawful purposes That
was nearly eleven years ago. When / was
candidate for congress in 1888 I refused to run
until they put in the platform resolution in
favor of limiting the area of corporate activity.
In 1892, in an article published in the Demo-
crat on the proposition of constitutional con-
vention, said:
'When men complain of trusts and COM
binations why can't they see that every corpora
ton is combination and that the whole theory
and practice of incorporation is to combine and
concentrate wealth and power. The only le-
gitimate office of corporation is the perform
ance of some service not only public in its ma
ture but of such magnitude and pernanency as
to be impracticabe of performance by private
Individuals To organize corporations for car
ryng on ordinary commercial business trade,
and thus crush competition, should be absolute
ly forbidden by the constitution. And even the
great enterprises which might properly be term
ed public should be permitted to incorporate
only after finding by public tribunal that the
proposed corporation would be of public utility,
and the state should exact share of the earn
ings of every such corporation forever, as the
price of the franchise. The state should also
have representation in the directory OF every
such corporation. The state should have re-
visory and supervisory control of every act OF
every corporation in the interest of the people"
Mr. Overmyer said much more in the article
mentioned along the same line which he con-
siders quite as socialistic as anything in the
Lincoln letter.
''In 1904" he continued, Gin accepting the
nomination for governor, declared fn favor OF
disincorporating commercial enterprises, in
substance the same as my Lincoln letter.
'I have for many years been in favor OF a
graduated income tax and limiting great wealth
by taxation. The only thing in the Lincoln let
ter which has not been said by me over and
over again is that which favors public
ownership of railway rights of way This
have said repeatedly before, but not inthe same
explicit NlauleI DIS Stdtru III tHS A|AhSoAH w.
ticle
81 have never however, been able to assent
to the operation of railways by the government,
but have always believed that the title to the
righ of way ought to be in the public, so as to
give the public that full right of and interfer-
ence which the public cannot otherwise have
over these corporations
"The Capitals Interpretation of my article
to mean public ownership of all private prop
erty is SO absurd that suppose the Capital
knew it was not justified by anything in the ar
ticle when writing the criticism" e
Mr.. Overmyer said that he meant every word
in the Lincoln letter and will not take anything
back. eff Mr.. Bryan hopes to succeed, he
must rise to the dignity of the occasion. Now
is the time for heroic treatment, and no pal
liative measure will prevail"
A correspondent for the National Stockman
saws he can dehorn 100 calves for 10 cents. He
takes the calf when it is three or four months
old, uses a pair of shears and clips the hair over
the knob about the size of nickel, dampens,
but not enough to run down the side OF he head.
He then puts concentrated lye about the knob,
rubbing it little with the fingers, and the Joo
is done He says he has never failed with MS
method, and it is not so cruel as cutting oh the
horns.-EXchange.
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