The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-18
Governor Hoch TaIks.

ing.
Governor Hoch Talks.
The introduction of Governor Hoch
to the oil producers was met with ap-
plause. He said:
'fCcm binations of capital and cor
porate organizations are now neces-
sity. They are not in themselves evil;
they are good, they are essential to
modern civilization. But with these
changes of commercial conditions
have come a necessity for a change Of
the relation of government to business
enterprises What is government:
swer in world To subServe the
greatest good to the greatest number.
The aggregations of capital in the
hands of a few men with great talents
may be either great blessing or a
great curse to the country A wise
government is not only corrective, but
II is anticipatory- Indeed, from the
decalcgue to the last statute wise gov
ernment has chiefly been thou shalt
not Human cupidity is a constant
menace to society and when vested
with giant corporate powers it is a
menace to individual interests and to
government alike for in a republic
like ours the strength of the govern
ment rests primarily upon the
strength of the individual and his well
fare is inseparably connected with the
welfare of the country and with the
government itself.
'sThese simple. but fundamental
truths are at the base of all the pres
ent agitation and discussion OF the
great trust question in this country
and they form the warp and woof of
the great contest now on in the state
of Kansas, the great contest whose
most recent arena was IN our legis-
lative halls and whose echo is heard
in this auditorium today No greater
question confronts the American peo-
pie than this trust question. How
wisely to control the operations of
great aggregation of capital for the
public good without unwisely hamper
ing great business enterprise and rob
mate profits. these be the problems
which tax the best thought and
highest craftsmanship. We are all
cropping more or less in the dark. But
I see rosy tints of a dawning solution
of these problems. I firmly and fer
vently believe that Kansas, proud
glorious Kansas, leader always of
Thought and action is about to make
a substantial contribution to the final
solution # this whole trrst problem
My fellow citizens. let the issue in
this state be clearly defined and clearly
understood First, let me say that this
is not war upon the Standard Oil
company It is war upon its methods.
1t is not an attack upon this great
corporation. 1t is an attack upon its
commercial policies. 1t is not an at
tempt to drive the Standard Oil COM
pany out of this state. 1t is an attempt
TO compel it to be decent. This great
corporation has invested large sums of
money in this state. 1t is entirely well
come here. We will not jeopardize a
single dollar of its investment, nor rob
II OF penny of legitimate profit. We
DO not protest against its presence here
we do not envy it its prosperity. We
simply protest against a monopoly that
would crush producer and consumer
alike between the upper and neither mill
stones, and which would absorb to its
greedy self all the vast reservoirs of
wealth with which the Almighty has
endowed this state and its people. And
in this contest we will put every dollar
OF our material resources. every bit of
our MANHOOD and WOmanhO0d, and eV-
cry particle of governmental power, and
we viii fight it out on this line re-
gardless of difficulties or temporary de-
feats until victory shall finally crown
our efforts
Let me in the second place empha-
size and reemphasize the statements I
nave repeat tedly made hitherto that this I
IS not a socialistic movement but the
very reverse of it. "A student for many
years of historical and philosophical so |
ciallsm- have emerged from these in
Nestlgatons thoroughly and profoundly
convinced that socialism is d soporific |
which would Dut the commercial world, |
aye, and the moral world also, ultimate
" TO sleep That it VIII dwarf humani- |
" and retard all progress. Socialism !
in governments is the Indians idea of |
government. the idea of a great father /
dispensing beads. and blankets and |
succotash to a lot of indolent depend (,
ents constitutionally opposed to work /
Competition works hardships it, is true
but it puts iron in human nature 1t /
develops strength and character. It is
essential TO mans highest development I
and to the worlds greatest good Thor |
oughly convinced by long study and
much thought that the sociaIistic idea
Of government in private business is
radically wrong, have entertained
with caution any and every proposition
tending toward governmental absorb
tion Of business enterprise which can be
more wisely left to individual effort