The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-09-22
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M. M MURDOCH, Editor
TIE POLITICAL FIGHT OF THE FUTURE.

While toleration religious and political has been the
chiefest stone foundation of the peace and
prosperity of the republic the United States there is
OF late many and protests against existing condi
tons These protests the great body of the PEG
PIE and in being heard be needed Socialism is but
protest against the bloodess of aggregated CAPT
tai Nihism protest against hereditary power and
arrogance. Trusts must 60 Combines of no character
except such as represent majority desire can survive IN
government by the people The political henchmen and
tools of syndicated combined capital must
be and will be turned down Superior general in
telgence will not permit financial it will
suffer political despotism so public servants and
aspiring politicians generally getting onto the fact
that public office is not private snap and that special
and class legislation must cease.
Governor LaFolIette of Wisconsin in his fight against
trusts and proposing them to death is right
But we think overdraws the danger side of the pic
ture He has, as Worlds Work editorally asserts,
done great public service the champion in his state Of
direct primary law and of law corporate prop
ery by the scale of valuation private property
and the confidence of his state These the
practical methods that he has chosen to break the
control of corporations ever the government.
In this long and hard struggle for a real democracy
instead rule commercial purposes, Governor La
Toilette has directly encountered opposition of the
commercial interests and of sefseekng promoters
he knows his enemy his ways every other vgor
GUS man. he has stated his case with emphasis Consider
for examples phrases these quoted from
address made by him Chautauqua, New York.
The great commercial interests "buy immunity from
taxation in legislatures" sometimes they secure
advantages by straight simple bribery sometimes by
"'allurng deals and promises of political preferment"
sometimes by hreates of ruin They defeat legislation
for the general good and pass laws promote private in
teress" The people are losing control of their
Its foundations being Slapped and it's
integrity destroyed" He quoted from letter written
by United States senator who declared that the rail
road companies controlled the senate.
Now Governor La Toilette is not calamity bowler"
Every observant who knows anything about public
life knows that there are cases. more less common of
brbed legislatures of desirable legislation baked for
private gain and of bad legislation enacted for the same
Everybody knows that there are public officers
in the United States and of it whose action is
controlled by great corporate interests be
prisng if in these days this were not true.
The question importance is not Are there cases of
these kinds? but Are they so numerous as to warrant
the sweeping conclusion that the people are losing con-
troll of their government and that its Integrity being
destroyed" This is impossible question to answer
with exactness. The governor of Wisconsin is man
whose opinions-even his sweeping opinions-are entitled
to respect Yet there other public spirit
and of careful thought-who see corrective power in
public opinion which is capable of asserting itself so
relegae corrupng influence of commerciasm in our
public life to the class of temporary sporadic evils
Burglars have always piled their trade society man
fairly well to defend itself against them Murderers
always active Yet life in United States is fairly
safe Commercial control of public men is more fire.
ouent than burgaries But the whole has
it got the better of the people? it getting the better
of it? Are the people not still stronger than the
and the brbers the baekmailers the benefciares
of special laws and special privileges?
He is foolish who shuts his eyes to the dangers
that obvious Yet is recalling that Governor
La Toilette has himself his fight against these very
influences by appeals public opinion and hard to
find any in whole history where public opinion
aroused in time save the Integrity" of the
The vast Unreasonable force of democracy
lies dormant sometimes for long periods every real
crisis it has arisen short work of whatever
influence has threatened foundations If the people
really share Governor La Foette's sweeping fear-or
whenever they share i-they will rise to the danger At
any rate they have always hitherto risen Wretched
rs our case is the government is yet syndicated"
At this very moment in fact many Of the great aggrega
tons are having pretty serious troubles of their own
TO KANSAS REPUBLICANS AND REPUBLICANIsM
Colonel O. E. Learnar. editor and proprietor Of the