The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-11
In TRUST POCKET.
Tariff Laws Get a Hard Rap
From W. B. Stubs.
Steel Combination Enriched by
Tariff on Rails.
EVILS OF THE PASS.
Says Railroads Expect to Be
Paid for Them.
Thinks Next Legislature Will
Prohibit Their Use.
evils OF THE PASS.


the Harvey county Republican banquet
last night w. r. Stubs made a reform
address in which he took an advanced
position on the tariff and the giving of
railway passes. Mr.. Stubs said:
The management and control of politi-
cal matters in a community, state or
nation, is a question which affects the
religious, moral and pecuniary rights of
every citizen, and is therefore a subject
of the deepest interest and worthy of
the best thought and highest endeavor
of our strongest and ablest men.
The enormous sums of money that
political managers have been able to
control during recent campaigns, derived
largely from slush funds accumulated
by public gratis and contributions made
by special interests, who expected large
returns in their investment in the form
of beneficial legislation, and protection
| of special privileges which they already
possess, has created a demand for pub
lie officials who can be depended on to
deliver the goods after election.
Would any great financial or bush
| ness institution contribute five, twenty
five, fifty or one hundred thousand dol
lars to a political campaign fund if the
results after election did not fully JUS
tify the investment from financial
standpoint?
Where is there an intelligent, honest
man who will contend that the billion
dollar steel trust, whose enormous profits
and unlawful methods almost endanger
the life and existence Of the nation, are
! fairly entitled to the benefits and assist
ance of a prohibitive protective tariff
while they are in open rebellion against
| the laws of our land and the spirit and
tendencies of our institutions and civil
| izatiOn?
The eight dollars a ton tariff on steel
rails amounts to several million dollars
profit every year to the steel trust and
| is paid for by the consumer, which IS
In what respect is a prohibitive
tariff different from tax for the
sole benefit of the manufacturer. when
the Infant industry mas grown 10
such gigantic proportions that, in con-
nectfon with other special interests, .
| it seeks to establish a commercial
despotism to take the place of gov
eminent ''of the people, by the people,
for the people"
| Can congressmen, senator's, or any
| other public officials, whose sworn duty
it is to protect and conserve public
interests, afford to remain silent on
these important, vital issues?
I believe heartily and thoroughly in
| a rational, reasonable, protective tariff;
| but I cannot understand how any sane
man can fail to recognize that abuses
/ exist in the tariff system as 1t now
stands Nor can / see any good reason
why the Republican party should not
revise these schedules promptly along
sound business lines when conditions
| demand it.
Use of the Pass.
] The great transportation lines of the
] country have contributed very gener-
ously to political campaigns, both in
cash and transportation, during recent
years.
made purely and solely for business
purposes no one has good cause to
Every member of the legislature is
overwhelmed with favors and passes
while he. has control of a vote, but the
J next day after his successor has been
4 elected, unless he is an unusually influ-
entail citizen, the rules of the company
will not permit him to ride on a
I do not offer this as criticism, but
| simply state it as a fact. 1t is plain
+ business proposition. Transportation IS
| property. 1t is the equivalent of cash.
| What right would any railroad official
have to give away thousands of dollars
worth of property belonging to his
COMPANY without receiving some ade-
quate compensation IN return!
While I have never personally &C
cepted one mile of free transportation
for myself my family, nor my friends,
on account Of politics, DO not impugn
the motives, nor critlclse the methods
on this account. I am fully convinced
that the vast majority OF men act in
perfect good faith and would not
knowingly be influenced by such IA
vors.
After a careful and very thorough
Investigation of the question, 1t is my
opinion that the pass evil, on the
whole, is one of the most lnsidious, in
sinuating, pernicious ana dangerous
influences with which the public has
to contend, and the next legislature Of
Kansas ought to enact a law that
would make it a criminal o1ense Tor
the railroad company to give, or the
person receive, any 1avors Whatever,
in any form of passenger transporta-
ton.
on this basis the general local pas
senger rates in Kansas would not nee
essarily exceed two cents per paSsen-
ger mile as compared with three cents
at the present time. The volume OF
passenger business would be material
ly increased, and I am convinced that
the railroads would earn more net pro-
fits than on the present basis. The
people who pay railroad fare now not
only pay for their own transportation,
but they also pay for the man who
with reference to federal control OF
| railroad rates I wish to say that the
value Of a railroad law which invests
: the railroad commissioners with power
/ to enforce their decisions Is illustrated
in a small way by the new railroad law
in kansas which was passed at the
last session of the legislature. Mr.. Tay-
: Tor, attorney for the board of railway
commissioners. estimates that the ship
pers and people Of Kansas viii reap a
benefit of upwards of one million dol
lars every year as a result Of the new
law.
The same authority and power con-
ferred on the interstate commerce COM
mission would probably be of as much
greater value as the nation is greater
than the state. And when you look the
question squareIy in the face, it ap-
pears almost foolish for the railway
companies to. attempt to prevent the