The Advocate and news., 1898-02-16
seOretary Little AngWera Editor Chaae.

unable 10 aUtaCk the Dill llSelL IN
manner that would satisfy his constit-
uents, the editor of the Topeka Capital
has directed his paragraphs at e. G.
Little, as supposed author OF the bill.
Mr.. Little replied in an open letter to
Mr.. Chase, in which he said:
Recognizing the Daily Capital as the
official organ OF the railroad corpora
tiOnS, friends Of reasonable railroad leg
lslation have read with interest your ed
itOrial OF Wednesday morning, February
8, realizing that 1t disclOSes the attitude
Of those railroad companies which are
opposed to any legislation, towards the
railroad bill recently proposed for the
judgment Of the people OF Kansas Spe-
cial interest is attached to this prOnun-
clamentO because Of the universal feel
ing that your own mastery discussions
Of the legal aspects OF the recent in
surance fight in which you have so often
learnedly prOphesied the downfall of Nc
Nall warrant the bar of the State in the
belief that whatever judicial position you
take must be the law A man who can be
as continuously and cOntentedly wrong
as you have been in every announce
ment you have made with regard to the
insurance law of Kansas is a phenOme-
non, and we listen with bated breath
hereafter for all opinions that your Har-
ward college education may qualify you
to render for the benefit Of the country
lawyers of this prairie State, who have
not enjoyed the advantages that enable
you to patronize these poor barristers
Of wild and fuzzy West. Having noted
your objections, the friends of the bill
now know which are its strongest and
most effective points.
You say; 'The bill writes the Obitu-
airy OF the maximum rate notion" and
'doesnOt redeem Popullst pledges" Your
sOlicitude for the welfare of the maxi
mum rate idea is touching. You will
without question, therefore, be gratified
to learn that this bill not only does not
sacrifice the maximum rate idea, but alb
sOlutely provides for carrying 1t into ef-
feet, fixing the highest rate that may be
charged now or hereafter in the State
Of Kansas and making 1t the positive
law Of the land from which there is no
escape. I am gratified to be able to re-
lieve you Of the sorrow and pain that
you feel at the obituary Of the maxi
mum rate" by directing your attention to
section 6, which pOintedly specifies what
rates shall be "the highest charges to
be made in the State Of Kansas"
This is not the first time that from
your standpoint Of profound legal learn
ing you have withered with your judi
cial sarcasm my poor efforts put forth
during the last twelve years to make a
living at the practice of law, which met
with a reasonable success, perhaps as
great as that attained by even so tai
anted and scholarly gentleman as
yourself, until limited legal attachments
were marked with your bar sinister, and
possibly even since oddly enough. In
an editorial of August s, 1897, you say:
"In an interview Of highly Littlesque
favor, suggesting the legal learning OF
his private secretary, Governor Leedy
states that under the insurance law the
superintendent Of Insurance has arbi-
trary power to drive company out Of
the State and that Judge Williams at
tempt to enjoin Webb McNall is an out
rageOus infringement Of State rights"
While l cannot recall that l ever saw
the interview to which you refer, the
issue Of the attempts of the insurance
companies to evade Mr. McNall's rul-
ings entirely justifes the opinion that
what you den0minate the "LlttlesQue"
conception Of the Kansas statutes better
commended iself to the Judgment of the
courts than the Harvard college idea,
which bore your baronial stamp, seal and
sign manual You said then: There
ought not to be any dispute as to the al
legged arbitrary power Of the Superin-
tendent Of Insurance" "McNalps ac-
tiOn" was illegal"
You are especially worried because 1t
creates new officer" who is to be So
licitOr ito the railroad court or commits
siOn," because Of your belief in the "prin-
ciples OF economy and reduction Of use