The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-02-17
Daily Easle
M, MI. MURDOCH, Editor.
BLOOD MONEY LEGISLATION.

1t will not be great while, from pres
ent indications, before corporations,
companies and other secular interests
will be appealing for protection against
The peoples lawmakers. SO sure as the
swinging pendulum never stops III the
center of its arc but ever sweeps from
one extreme to the other, the proposition
that the trusts and combines VIII DE
Drawing to be saved from the rapaclty
of the peoples representatives as not
en- illogical one. 1t is no truer that all
life preys upon all other life than that
humanity preys upon humanity, univer-
sally. The longest pole knocks the per-
simmon; the shrewdest rogue beats the
game. If the rogue can find no other
fellows game TO beat he puts up game
of his own and inveigles victims.
A certain per cent of all the measures
irtrodu I'D into legislatures OF Is ates
are. al bottom. Matchmaking schemes.
In truth major y of the measures
which propose ext'eme penalties FOR
small or questionable abuses are. in re
ality, bleeding schemes. Whenever
legislator rises in his place with some
measure for the better protection OF tile
people in some matter in which the peo-
ple are not sensible of outrage or abuse,
it can be set down that the author of
the proposed law is seeking blood
money. The more drastic the bill and
extreme its penalties, the higher the
price expected by its author. These
demagogues play the people for suckers
at one end and the fellows at the other
end for all they can stand. These poiit-
ical Jehus, while proclaiming in tones
of thunder in the legislative hall that the
dear, innocent and confiding people
shall be protected against the rapacity
of combines, the deyilish intrigues OF
trusts and the schemes of unhoiy ALL
ances. at a later hour meet the repre-
sentatives of these supposed iniQuities
10 arrange terms and price for the
sduelching Of the measure at the proper
time. In this way legitimate enter
prises and industries are bied, some
times to the death. The strategiSt and
statesman afterwards explains TO his
confding constituents that his measure
was a most righteous one but that IL
had no chance among the bull-headed
ignorance constituting the majority of
the assembly; still if spared his life and
the continued confidence of his people
he will yet push this righteous measure
in the interest of the people to final
massage at the next session. The dear
peeps" In open-eyed astonishment and
alteration swallow the dose and then
and there resolve TO vindicate their able
states monger by a reelection. He goes
back another winter to rehearse the
farce, ad minimum.
There are a number of measures of
this character before the Kansas legis
lature now. To name them would in
iure innocence - and bring down the
contempt of the guileless who believe in
the sincerity of the authors. All the
same there are such measures pending,
and no session convenes in which they
are not introduced. 1t is safe 10 say
that nine out of ten of all the bills pro-
posed for the regulation of private en-
terpriseS. the control of companies or
corporations, the supervision OF given
lines of trade. and the like, are but
Matchmaking bills introduced for the
sole purpose of blood money.