Evening journal., 1905-12-28
THE WAR AGAINST GREED.

HOSE who. perchance, may read only the
large metropolitan papers or our local
ones, may be surprised to learn the wide extent
OF sentiment that is moving leading and infu-
ential Republican journals in other parts of the
country. These journals undoubtedly repre-
sent the thoughts of their readers and reflect
what is working among the masses of the party
voters. The railroad question is one OF the up
permost topics of discussion. The general criti-
cism Of wealth and Of corporate greed as has
been reflected in political life is another.
One of the staunchest OF the Republican paper.
of New York outside of New York city. is TIE
Buffalo News owned by an individual OF much
prominence in the party This is the way the
News handles the railroad rebate question just
as a sample:
Every furrow turned up by the mental
plough that crosses the railroad field reveals
new facts to eNasperate the people The
blacklist indictment for cheating the public
is hardly ever denied The stiffest laws
against rebating are violated daily and
cheeruly and the business OF making one
man by breaking another, or Of building up
one town at the expense OF a natural rival
goes merrily on.
Private car lines and refrigerator mono
poles, revealed in their enormity OF tribute
only hasten the day of judgment for all such
concerns 1t is whispered in Washington
that the criminals who now gather in their
vast gains OF fraud on the public are think
ing of concedng something to the President
lest worse thing belall them than any of
the measures now proposed to be enacted.
The rebaters are quite right in their fears.
If Congress neglectS to deal firmly and ef-
iectively with the crying evil of the trans
portation business another Congress will be
selected that will deal with it SO radically
as TO leave no question about il. The con-
scienceless law breakers who affect TO be
shocked at the idea of losing control OF their
business have none but themselves to blame
for the rapidly rising tide OF public indigna-
ton that will not end until justice is cstab-
lished in this business.
Another influential Republican journal is tn,
Cleveland, Ohio, Leader, which is the chief ex
ponent Of Republcanism of northern Ohio Tn,
Washington correspondent OF the Leader sen
his paper the following
Deeply stirred by the revelations of cor
porate greed and unscrupulous domination
in the agitation of the railroad rate regua-
tion question, the beef trust inquiry and
the insurance investigation in New York, as
well as by exposes in the newspapers and
magazines of the country, the people are de-
manding that these evils be corrected and
'''N'''N'it ''i'''
remedies. Undue delay or single false
move ON the part of a Republican national
administration and a Republican Congress.
supplemented by a period Of financial and
industrial depression, which is always fear
ed and always in prospect at time Of cN-
traordinary general prosperity, and radical
ism might sweep the country
And by this radcalism which the leaders
fear they mean the cry for government OWL
crship OF railroads, the telegraph, and the
express and life insurance business. munici-
pal ownership of public utilities and tamper-
ing and experimenting with new taxation
theories. Radicalism spells experiment, and
Republican conservatives have been ever
fearful OF experiments. They believe in
bearing and wrestling with present ills,
rather than flying TO others they know not
Of And SO they would make haste slowly
with legislation looking to the remedy Of
existing rate evils and demand no profaning
hand shall be laid on the protective tariff
These extracts show the drift of sentiment
the country. They could be multiplied and the