The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-09-07

self to his family to his neighbor, to
the state; who is incapable of the base
ness which manifests itself either in ar
rogarce or in envy, but who while de-
manding justice for himself is no less
scrupulouS to DO justice to others. 1t
is because the average American citi-
zen, rich or poor, is of just this type
that we have cause for our profound
faith in the future of the Republic.
Ours is a government of liberty, by
through, and under the law. LawleSs-
ness and connivance at law-breaking--
whether the Iaw-breaking take the
form of a crime of greed and cunning
or of a crime of ViOlence-are destruc-
tive not only of order, but of the true
liberties which can only come through
order. If alive to their true interests
rich and poor alike will set their faces
like flint against the spirit which seeks
personal advantage by overriding the
laws. without regard to whether this
spirit shows itself in the form of bodily
violence by one set of men or in the
form of vulpine cunning by another set
of men.
Let the watchwords of all our people
be the old familiar wa tchwords of hon
esty, decency, fair-dealing and common
sense. The qualities denoted by these
words are essential to all of US, as we
deal with the complex industrial prob
lens of today, the problems affecting
not merely the accumulation but even
more the wise distribution of wealth.
we ask no mans permission when we
require him to obey the law: neither
the permission of the poor man noc yet
Of the rich man. Least of all can the
man of great wealth afford to break the
law, even for his own financial advan-
tage; for the law is his prop and sup
port, and it is both foolish and pro-
foundry unpatriotic for him to fail in
giving hearty support to those who
show that there is in very fact one
law, and one law only, alike for the
rich and the poor, for the great and the
small.
Men sincerely interested in the due
protection of property, and men sincere
ly interested in seeing that the just
rights of labor are guaranteed, should
alike remember not only that in the
long run neither the capitalist nor the
wage worker can be helped in healthy
fashion save by helping the other; but
also that to require either side 20 obey
the law and do its full duty toward the
community is emphatically to that
sides real interest.
There is no worse enemy of the wage
work than the man who condones mob
violence in any shape or who breaches
class hatred; and surely the slightest
acquaintance with our industrial his
tory should teach even the most short
sighted that the time of. most suffering
for our people as whole, the times
when business is stagnant, and capital
suffers from shrinkage and gets no re-
t,lrn from its investments are exactly
the times of hardships. and want. and
grim disaster among the poor. If all
the existing instrumentalitieS of wealth
co11ld be abolished the first and sever
est suffering would come among those
of US who are at least well off at pres
I erit. The wage-worl<er is well off only
when the rest of the country is well off,
iand he can best contribute to this gen
/ eraI we'll being by showing sanity and a
firm purpose to do justice to others
In his turn the capitalist who is really
a conservative, the man who has lore
! Thought as well as patriotism. should
heartily welcome every effort. legislative
I or otherwise which has for its object to
secure fair dealing by capital, corporate
or Individual toward the public and
/ toward the employee. Such laws as the
! franchise-tax law in this state. which
the court of appeals recently unani-
4 noo,1slv decided observation-disclosures
/ law as that passed in congress last year
for the purpose of establishing depart
ment of commerce and labor under
which there should be a bureau to over
! see and secure publicity from the great
! corporations which do an interstate bus
/ inessAsuch a law as that passed at the
same time for the regulation of the
/ great highways of commerce so as TO
/ keen these roads clear on fair terms to
all producers in getting their goods to
market-these laws are in the interest
not merely of the people as whole, but
! of the propertied classes For in no way
/ is the stability of property better assur-
ed than by making it patent to our peo7
pie that property bears its proper share
of the burdens of the state; that pro-
perty is handled not only in the interest
of the owner. but in the interest OF the
whole community
In other words, legislation to be per-