The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-01-23
SATURDAY, JANUARY ~ lS'"
roo MUCH LAW

W. ,o,a with interest that several Oh
onr free silver contemporaries III
,,,nio are opening their eyes 10 'no i".'
that this country is not 10 pe maui
and prosperous by the enactment VI
=, - true that certain amount VI
i necessary to the regulation oil p"Si
- hut rather negatively than aihrma-
,,,.o,, 60 By this we mean to say mat Inc
,r;nciples underlying all laws OF TINS cna'-
acter should be equal rights TO all ana
special privileges to none.
This Is a hackneyed phrase. ano'
strangely enough. has become the mo''o
-, that marty which is the embodiment OF
paternalism. But be that as II may IL Is
the great principle OF Democracy inc
democratic idea is that there shah be Just
"a little law as possible, consistent Win
the protection of life. liberty, and proper
- But Democracy denies that it is the
function OF government to assist any
man in earning a livelihood or accWnln-
lating property. II believes In giving
every man the same right as every DINER
man TO accumulate wealth. and 10 ENJOY
tho fruit OF his labor without molesta-
go, from others. If the country should
return to first principles. wipe out all
existing laws In restraint Of trade. ana
enact only such laws as are consistent
with the true principles of Democracy
there would be greater measure of
prosperity. and the wealth OF the country
would soon be more equally distributed.
But a great mistake was made when the
first law was enacted in behalf OF some
particular interest This was followed by
other laws in behalf of other particular
interests. and these were followed 3
other laws still In restraint OF this or that
interest.
And so we have begun by trying to
correct one wrong law by the enactment
OF another bad law. until the statute
books are loaded down with al sorts of
laws to hamper business and to check
enterprise.
Within the past several days there have
been no less than three instances in Illus
tration of the truth we would teach. In
Chicago the Council passed an ordinance
requiring street railways TO reduce their
fare. In the State OF Georgia the Rail
road Commission adopted regulation. re-
ducing the tariff on fertilizers. In Ohio
a similar regulation was adopted with
reference to railroads. The result was
that In each case the employees Of the re-
spective companies all entered "A protest
declaring that such reductions resulted in
injury 90 them by reducing their wages
and by reducing the number OF employees
We do not pretend TO say that corpora
tions OF this character should not be more
or less controlled by the governing power
because they are Tie servants OF the
people. But we cite these Illustrations
as showing how hard it is for the Gov
eminent TO interfere in the affairs Of
business In behalf of one interest. with
out doing Injury 10 the interest Of others
II is for this reason that The Times
opposes the protection principle. the pro-
hibltory tax on he issues OF State hanks
and all kindred measures. Whenever tho
Government begins to interfere It is al
most sure TO make mess OF il ana ~
injure rather than aid the general n,,hi,c
All species of class legislation are to no
avoided and whenever We can so odi,s,
the laws so as to be rid entirely OF
such legislation. the whole country ,.u
be benefited.