The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-31

a Witty Protest Against OverprOduc-
ton of Legisiation.


Address by Judge H. Z. Rowland before
the National Association of Manufac-
turers.
The relation of capital to labor, the or
ganization of industry as affecting prop
lens Of government, the economies OF
trusts-these questions have been banged
and thrashed about by incompetent hands
until our ears are weary of the ain; put the
indirect results of industrial legislation us
effects upon the individual as member OF
society and upon his attributes-in other
words, the psychology. OF the matter-thlss
is a subject well worthy the attention OF
those moralists who in their plans Tor the
redemption of the world by legislation nave
treated man entirely as unit in the soclal
scheme and singularly omitted 10 Jake dco
count of human nature.
The activity of our legislators for the
last twenty years having decisively solved
all problems of government, they are now
with increasing proclivity turning their at
tention to our private affairs, and anu
trust bills. anti-theater-hat bills, shorter
blacksmithS' license bills, anti-glucose
anti-oleomargarine. sleeping-car- berth bills
and factory inspection bills threaten us on
One of the evils which it is commonly at.
tempted to abolish is the acquisition or
wealth, and the odium or at least the pre-
sumption of moral guilt is now attached to
those who are prudent, thrifty or aStute
enough to get ahead of their fellows; But
are we sure that they who are so alarmed
about the getting of wealth are any, better
than they who get it, or, If 1T be a felony 10
get wealth. that they would not be Wiling
to compound any number of such felonles
for a consideration-to be named by them
selves? Most of the penalties for the get
ting of money-for the inquisitorlal corpo-
ration tax the income tax and the graded
collateral inheritance tax are just that-
are measures intended not so mucn 10 pre-
vent the acquiring of wealth as TO give
other people a share OF It. Inc JapDer-
wocxy octopus is not slain with Vorpal
sword. but placed in a cage and sheared
annually for, the benefit OF the community
obi IN
he can have some, too.
There are other and perhaps even more
serious manifestations of this desire 10
NEEDLE in our private affairs and TO make
us happy-againSt our whisky legislation
TO compound drugs for eight ana one
quarter hours day, to be shaved by an uI-
licensed barber to permit mill operatives
to work longer than state senator's think
they should properly wish TO, to ride In a
carriage drawn by horse snod e py an uI IL
to be added to the list of original sins
which of themselves have already proved
sufficient to vex humanity and the recol-
lection of 1.-The crime of 73 will be lost in
the multitude of other economic crimes
which we shall be liable to commit School
board sins, factory act sins violation OF
license sins will become common. and, in
spectors with notebooks and official badges
will swarm about our private walks, ac-
quaint us periodically with our parlous
lights of the inSolence OF ONCE. For my
self I do not care FOR these temptations
that the Decalogue provides enough rocks
and shoals for me to avoid. care for no
further revision of it. If, as the old lady
said King James's version was good
enough for St. Paul, it is good enough for
me.
There is a serious result to be considered;
the indifference TO crime where there is no
moral index to guide. Theft may be viewed
with the same composure as the ofense OF
working overtime. 1t is a true proverb that
If you live with lame man you will learn
to halt Virtue will no longer be the possess
sion of the individual, but to use the Jargon
of the courts, "a matter anected with
public charge" and we shall become auto
mata without q conscience as surely as we
are becoming anatomies without vermi-
form appendix. But these results are too
serious for after-dinner contemplation 1t
is enough If we consider the discomforts
the red tape, the Officaldom, the reports
and inspections of such a life, the disap-
pearance of the self-made man and his vir-
which we much admire. We should be
helped and waited on and guided and pushed
hither and yon and generally cottoned up
against our wills.
/ sympathize with friend who has lived
for several years in Germany. Il wearied, "
he said, "of inspectors and officials and
servants. / could not go to railroad sta
out passing through gates and turnstiles
and Enclosures to keep me in the proper
way. l longed fer America and the fac
dom of doing as / pleased. When / got
back here felt deeply grateful to the hack
man who tried to kidnap me bodily, and
the driver let the brake fly around and hit
me in the stomach and said, Get out of
the way, you damned fool 1 could have
kissed him."