Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-01-16
Eurn Fursdag auarg Is 1902

vor of the government. Nature endows
one man with genius to make and
save money, and denies it to another
This power can no more be equaiiZed
than any other form of superiority In
the struggle for leadership; and he who
cavls at the differences which the world
presents quarrels with the plans OF the
Almighty. While, therefore the gov
eminent could not If 1t would. and
should not if it could, attempt to reduce
humanity to a common level, am firm
~ of the opinion that it is worth our
while to consider the propriety of curb
ing some of the power which great sue
cess creates. Our history makes it clear
that it is easy to create wealth, but the
problem of it's just distribution is one
which will tax the strength of the best
minds of future generations. Govern
ments are not organized simply to keep
the peace: It is no inconsiderable part
Of their function to help those who can
not help themselves. II ia perfectly true
that the world always has place for
men of great capacity, and they can al
ways exact full compensation for what
they do. 1t must not be forgotten, how
ever. that much the larger part of the
work of the world does not require great
intellectual strength or demand trained
minds. This work must be done, and
the pay for 1t can not be raised to the
standard of those who lead in the fields
Of industry. The government, as I'll
seems to me, has at least one duty to-
perform in This connection. 1t Is vitality
interested in seeing to it that the men
who can never rise to that prominence
which will enable them 20 fully protect
, themselves shall receive that reward
for their labor, and shall be surrounded
by such conditions as will make them
good citizens, I believe that the power
which wealth bestows ought sometimes
TO be checked. and thru wise legislation,
the rights of the weak and helpless
more carefully preserved.
CORPORATIONS
There is another thought which Is d.
rected more to the creation of whole
some sentime Mt than to the enactment
of laws, to which 1 must draw your at
tention. He who honestly makes has
the right to safely keep, whether it be
one dollar or million dollars; yet there
are certain incidents of wealth and es-
to receive the serious consideration of
those who Rave the welfare of their
country at heart. Wealth gives to him
who owns or controls it power for great
good and for great evil; it gives him
power to endow schools found libraries
and relieve want; but it also gives him
power to seduce and coerce his fellow
men. and this power should be most
{an In, e,tx tri nd nc,
pecially incorporate wealth. has many
rights. but IL should always be remem-
bered that among them is not the right
to vote. Corporations have. and ought
to have, many privileges: but among
them is not the privilege to sit in politi-
cal conventions or occupy seats in legis-
latlve chambers. Corporations. as such,
should be vigorously excluded in every
form from participation in political af-
fairs Here at least the rich and the
poor, as individuals, should meet upon
plane of absolute equality. The con-
science and intelligence Of the natural
man must be the sole factors in deter
mining what our laws shall be and
who shall execute them.
At this point | must be permitted to
refer specifically to one phase of cor
porate interference that ought speedily
to disappear under the righteous indig-
nation of honest men. The professional
lobbyist has. regret 20 say. become one
Of the features of legislative assemblies;
he has become stencil in the nostrils
OF a decent community. and he ought to
be driven with the lash of scorn, pur-
sued by the penalties of the law, from
the presence of every official and from
the precincts of every legislative body
in the republic. Do not understand me
10 suggest that the halls of legislation
should be inaccessible to either the in
divdual or the corporation. The right OF
petition is as sacred as II is venerable:
and thru 1t the wants. objections or
complaints of all who are interested III
public affairs should be made known
with absolute freedom; not only so, but
the right to affair and impartial hearing
before appropriate committees should be
sedulously preserved. The lobbyist
however, who Is for anything or against
anything for hire. whose mission it is to
promote one measure or defeat another.
who haunts the chambers of legislation
and taints its atmosphere with his cor
rupt designs, who sends for members
for interviews in the cloak room, who
carries tally sheet and watches the
roll call, who shadows the members at
their homes and hotels, injecting at all
hours and all places his poison into the
public service is criminal whose APP
proach is an insult. and TO whom the
doors of the capitol should never swing
forward. Even as Christ scourged the
money changers from the temple at Je
rusalem, so you, senators and represen-
tatives. will scourge the lobbyist from
your sight and hearing.
s.4 TAXATION.
The manner in which the government
ougth to- raise the money necessary to
carry on It's varied operations has been
the subject of the widest difference of
opinion from the time organized So
ciety took form until the present mo-
ment The subject has been difficult
one with every people in all time and
| it is especially difficult in the complex
material development in which we live.
While it as not always been 30, the
fundamental principle of taxation has
now become well settled. 1T is uni
versally agreed that every tax payer
should contribute his fair, just and
proportionate share of the expense
which governments entail The prep
aration of a law carrying this principle
/ into execution would not have been an
| easy task in the simplicities of former
period, but with the wonderful variety
of property, with the mysterious forms
in which wealth finds expression. and
in the dull system government known