Evening journal., 1897-03-03

One man would say: OF course the
cows should run at large. The grass
viii 90 10 waste in the streets II they
don't. IL will be better for the city
II the COWS are running at large. He
had a COW. And another would say:
The COWS had better be shut up. Il
will be better for the city If they are
shut up. He had no COW. And when
It came to a vote the question OF voting
was determined very largely as TO
whether a man had q COW running at
large or not. So we see that the inter-
est lay IN the cost of keeping a COW,
and not as to whether the city at large
would be benefited by having the COW
run at large. 1t is an evidence of in
telligence that people should be able to
sacrifice to-day for tomorrow. A boz
goes to college. He puts in four, six. or
maybe eight years there There are
those who complain that he was taken
out Of productive industry and that he
could be making money, but he is sac
rhcing those years in order to make
himself of greater value in the years
that he does work. In all these matters
intelligent people sacrifice to-day in or
der to lead up to something for to-mor-
row. They will withstand temptation
to-day in order to reap greater advan-
tage tomorrow. So when we consider
legislation we have no right to consider
simply as to whether we can make
money out Of this law to-day. We must
take a broader view of It. Constitutions
are framed with more deliberation than
laws. They are framed to stand not
one year or two years, but sometimes
to stand for half a century. They are
therefore framed with great care and
safeguards are thrown about legisla-
ton in order that the people who are
tempted to yield to monetary tempta-
tions may be restrained for their per-
manent good.
have spoken to you Of the injustice
of a law which collects from one man
more than his share, and from another
man less than his share. l noticed In a
paper the other day that a number OF
township or precinct assessors In New
York had been indicted by the grand
Jury for letting people escape taxation.
The reason given by the grand jury
was the very reason given you. BY let
ting them escape taxation an unjust
burden was thrown on those who had
not escaped.
Two persons own houses side by side,
and they are of equal value. One is as
sessed one price and one double that
The rate of taxation is the same and II
the assessor puts one piece at double its
value, and the other at half its value
injustice is done, and yet how many
would tell an assessor that the assess.
ment is too low? How many would not
feel grateful to the assessor If he would
violate his oath of Office and authority
to let a person escape taxation? Who
that respects his government loves his
country and wants justice. dare stanC
before any community and defend az
assessor who knowingly and intention
ally over-values, or UNDERWRITERS, prop
erty, or who can defend the man VIII
advises the assessor TO do Il? That yol
cannot do so is as broad as the spher
IN which injustice can operate. In or
der that YOU, as political servants a
well as private citizens, shall take thi
principle and apply it in making law
and in the execution and administra
tion of them through the courts Of jus
tice. / say to you that you approac
perfection as you approach perfeo
application of that principle. 1t Is affir
native injustice that a goyernmen
does when it enacts unjust laws. IL j
affirmative injustice that an office
does whenever he underestimate o
over-estimates property.
/ want to speak Of an even more i'm
portant part of government. jefferson
spoke of one of the duties Of govern
ment as being the duty of restrainin
men from iniuring one another. NOW
my friends. that duty grows and be
comes more imperative every day
Everybody recognizes that the govern
ment should stand ready to defend O
protect a small man from being injure
physically by a large man. That
. should stand ready TO protect a ma
from being injured by a gun, a club, q
any other weapon; but my friend
there are injuries which are not entire
, ly physical, that do not come under th
! legal definitions that we have, but / b'
lieye that IL is the spirit Of this r.
straining power rather than its lett'
that should be observed. and that 1t
the duty OF a government to prote'
every citizen against every arm raise
against him, whether It is the physics
arm or the arm OF wealth used again
him in the hands of the few an
against the many. We have what
known as the corporation. The corp'
ration has grown to be thing of emo
nous importance in the, country. 1t
growing in importance all the time.
! = is a fictitious person. IL is given II
longer than a person. IL is free fro
certain responsibility that attaches TO
person. We have all heard of the co
= poration being called soulless. Som
= times the phrase is used, 'Soulless as
!. corporation. Those who are connect'
= with the corporation think that use
u tho phrase is an evidence OF hostilit
d But Il is soulless. 1t has no life beyoi
y this life. If it has, trust there will
u certain restraints on It. Il Is hard
T. imagine heaven full of unrestrain
, corporations. A corporation has
y moral responsibility or character. 7
y Individual has a restraint, not only
= fear of punishment here, but, If the
y dividual Is a believer in immortality a
Is God, he has the further restraint
:, fear of what may follow violation
u the laws of God. A corporation has
~ such restraining influence upon il. In
IS corporation authority is so distribut
that men cannot be held so strictly ;
~ onunfahIa ae they could in an indfVi