The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-10-04
increase the power Of the federal gov

/ legal advisers of the holders of vast
/ corpo- te wealth. who. in the perform
ance of what they regard as their duty,
/ and to serve the ends of their clients,
/ invoke the law at one time for the con-
I founding of their rivals. and at an
other time strive for the nullification
/ Of the law, in order that they them
! selves may be left free to work their
/ unbridled will on these same rivals, or
on those who labor for them, or on
! the general public. In the exercise of
/ heir profession and In the service of
/ their clients tn ese astute lawyers strive
to prevent the passage of efficient laws
and strive to secure judicial determln-
ations of those that pass which shall
emasculate them. They do not invoke
the constitution in order to compel the
due observance of law alike by rich
and Door by great and small; on the
contrary. they are ceaselessly on the
watch to cry out that the constitution
is violated whenever any effort IS
made TO invoke the aid OF the natlonai
government. whether for the efficient
regulation of railroads, for the efficient
supervision of great corporations. or
for efficiently securing obedience to
such q law as the national eight hour
law and similar socalIed labor stat
'aThe doctrine they preach would
make the constitution merely the
shield of Incompetence and the ex-
euse for governm entail paralysis; they
treat 1t as q JuEttlIal4OA IOI L6LuHAA4E
to attempt the remedy Of evil. instead
of as the source of vital power neces-
sarv for the existence of a mighty and
ever growing nation.
states Must Do Their Part.
sStrong nationalist though am, and
firm though my belief is that there
must be a wide extension of the power
of the national government to deal
with questions Of this kind l freely ad-
nit that as regards many matters Of
first-rate Importance we must rely
purely upon the states for the better
ment of present conditions. The sew
eral states must do their duty or our
citizenship can never be put on
proper plane. Therefore I most heart
lily Congratulate the people of the state
of Pennsylvania on what its legfs-
lature, upon what its government, has
accomplished during this present year.
It has remarkable record of achieve
ment.
Through your legislature you have
abolished passes; you have placed the
offices of the secretary of the com
monweaIth and the insurance commits
siOner upon an honorable and honest
basis of salary only by aboliShtng
the fee system, YOU have passed law
compelling the officers and employees
of great cities to attend to the duties
for which they are paid by all the tax
payers, and to refrain from using the
power conferred by their offices to in
luGHC1 DOl1Atdl DdtSllSs YOU nave
prohibited the solicitation or receiving
of political assessments by city. en-
plOyes; you have by law protected the
state treasury from depreciation and
conserved public moneys for use
only in the public interest; you
have by law for the protec-
ton of the elective franchise
made tampering with the ballot boxes
and the casting of illegal votes so diff
acult as III all probability to be un-
profitable; you have provided pri-
mary election law which guarantees
to the voters free expression in the
selection Of candidates for office; you
have by law regulated and improved
the civil service systems of your
greatest cities; and, finally, you have
passed a law containing a provision
which I most earnestly hope will in
substance be embodied likewise in
law by the congress at the NoTning
session. provision prohibiting the
officers of any corporation from max
ing contribution of the money of that
corporation to any candidate or any
political committee for the payment of
any election expenses whatever.
1t is surely not too much to sRy that
this body Of substantive legislation
marks an epoch in the history of the
practical betterment Of political condi-
dons, not merely for your state. but for
all our states. I DO not recall any other
state legislature which in a similar
length Of time. has to its credit such a
body of admirable legisIa ton Let me.
however, most earnestly urge that your
legislature continue this record of pub
lie service by enacting one or two addi-
uOual laws One subject which every
good citizen should have at heart above
almost all others is the matter of child
labor. Everywhere the great growth
Of modern industrialism has been ac-
companied by abuses in connection with
the employment of labor which have
necessitated complete change in the
attitude Of the state toward labor.
Child Labor law.
This is above all true in connection
with the employment of child labor. In
Pennsylvania you have made a begin
ming. but only a beginning. in proper
legislation and administration on this
subject; the law must If necessary be
strengthened, and it must be vigorously
enforced. The national government can
GO but little in the matter of child labor,
though I earnestly hope that that H.
tie will be permitted to be done by
congress The great Dulk of the work,
however, must be left to the state legis-
latures; and If our state legislatures
would act as drasticaIIy and yet as
wisely on this subject Of child labor as
Pennsylvania has acted within the pres
ent year as regards the subjects I have
enumerated above, the gain would be
literally incalculable; and one of the
most vital needs of modern American
life would at last be adequately met
so much for the state. Now for the
nation; and here ] can not do better
than base my theory OF governmental
action upon the words and deeds of one
Of Pennsylvania's greatest SONS. JUS
tice James Wilson Wilson's career has
been singularly overlooked for many
years but believe that more and more
1t is now being adequately appreciated;
and frr Ia fa uf, To
fact that Wilson's body is to be taken
away from where it now rests and
brought back to lie. as 1t should. in
Pennsylvania soil He was a signer Of
the Declaration Of Independence. He
was one Of the men who saw that the
Revolution, in which he had served as
soldier. would be utterly frrlitless un-
less II was followed hN 2 Close ard NJ