The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-13

dirty he called out both mates and set
rharn ro hoIystGning the decks
These two gentlemen and the sea
CAPTAIN were less wise and sensible than
rhev might have been. but the mem bers
~ this IegfsIa rura-and by no means
want to be understood as excepting my
saIf-have no right to criticise them
Half the session is gone, and what
have We done Put in all our time pre-
pairing some patches for garment that
is moth eaten and rotten and cannot
hold together much longer
We do not seem TO realize that this
Is q transition period, that the old
cfviIfza ton is dying and new one is
4 bout 10 be born Instead Of setting
ourselves To- devise measures that viii
ease Us over the jolt and reduce as much
as possible the violence of the inevfta-
bic shock instead of preparing the
waE and STRENGTHENING the paths for
the new order that Is coming, instead or
STUDYING how we can best and most
safely. shoot the rapids that are before
Us. what are We doing2 Why, we are
inst tutoring and tinkeFing away at the
Old machine. as II any amount OF re
pairs could make il do the work OF the
future
In fact we are trying to put new
wine into old bottles, and new cloth into
an old garment
The oId tree is bearing evil fruitand
that continually Wrong and injustice
and oppression poverty and hardship
and misery monumental combinations
ing armies of the unemployed on the
other are the products Of our civiliza-
DO we 20 to the root of the matter?
By no means. We take the pruning
knife of legislation and cut of a twig
here and another there We insert
graft here and another there, and plas-
ter over the wounds We say oy our
acts that the old tree would be alb right
If We could get it TO bear different fruit
We are spending our strength in vain
and our la Dor for that which IS naught-
Bills have been introduced by the
hundred and the thousand proposing
To remedy every imaginable evil of
which the people are cOmplaining-an
yet the prolific mother of all these evils
we are leaving untouched We don't see
far enough beyond the ends of our
noses TO understand that a system
which permits one man to profit BY the
la Dor of another is q vicious and an IN
lust system. and that 1T can no more
breed equity and righteousness than
grapes can come from thOrus or figs
from thfstles
our methods OF distributing the
wealth that Ia Dor produces are no bet
ter than the ones that prevailed in the
dark ages We have progressed mar
veIIously in wealth creation, but the
men who build the finest houses do rot
live in them the women who weave the
most beautiful carpets do not tread on
them. the mechanics who fashion the
most elegant carriages do not ride in
them We give the drOneS and the
idIers the best Of everything, and then
we boast OF a competitive system that
everyone TO do his best by
the rewards it holds out
ssPr0b bly, there is less Of seIf-seekfng
in this legislature than in any that has
preceded IT Perhaps there is 4 larger
percentage of measures intended for
the general good, and fewer that are
inspired by unworthy or interes ted mo-
tiveS- What theuz All these measures
n 7af = 4
specific evils and strike at results rath-
p than causes They are good in inten-
ton and may be OF some benefit in ex-
acutiDu- But they are patches and only
patches and We have reached the point
where a dozen new rents aer bound
to appear for every patch We put on
You ask me what legislation con-
slider fundamental and to " haE meas
ures I think the law makers should de-
vote their energies2 Well that is hard
question TO answer Any law that points
towards the public rather than the pri-
vata ownership OF business IN " hIcn the
public IS interested, Will be 4 step in
the right direction Any legislation
which looks forward diTusing rather
than contracting the powers OF govern
rnent IS TO be welcomed Power and
wealth are both being being c0ncentraC-
ed They ought to be diEused-
We want more democracy in govern
that 7 know of. that will promote this
except the direct legislative amendment
to the constitution
we want more democracy in bust
ness and in this line the bills for the
restriction of the profits of OverSrOwn
n1OnopOlieS are good. but measures
looking 10 public ownership and man
agemeut would be really better
1t IS 4 foregOne conclusion of course.
that the legislature viii put in most
Of its time trying 10 patch up Il worn
out system. but II one single measure
that is based on a correct cOmprehen-
sion of the philosophy Of the movement
that Is now stirring the people. and even
hints at 2 fundamental remedy can be
got through the session of 1887 VIII not
have been held in vain
JUDGE vANDIvERT TO GO.