The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1906-12-21
SQUARE DEALERS on GUARD.
William Allen White SAYS People
Should Keep Tab on Legislature.

i " lAAAElLl AAlen " mite says EeODle
Should Keep Tab on Legislature.
Watch the legislature is the word
which is being sent out by the Square
Deal Republican club. The club off
Il GERS claim that they have a working
majority in the legislature, and will
control the situation unless somebody
works" with the members.
There is talk among the Square
Dealers Of holding a mass caucus in
Topeka shortly after Christmas for
the purpose Of agreeing upon certain
measures to be endorsed by the square
dealers Members Of the legislature
will be expected to vote for those
measures.
W A White Of EmpOria has writ
ten an editorial which viii serve as
note OF warning to members OF the
legislature II viii notify the members
that they are going to be watched
and that their actions concerning
pending legislation will determine
their status with the square deal
movement
The editorial advocates the con-
tinuatiOn Of volunteer lobby in To-
peka, fOm the Federation OF CONNER
cial Interests, as was done at the last
session This lobby is TO see 10 IL that
the railroad lobby does not have ev-
eTything its own way. The W. A.
White editorial is as follows:
Advises Watchfulness.
a careful scrutiny of the list OF
tUre together with the known atti-
tude OF the members Of the upper
house. indicates beyond a reasonable
doubt that that wing or the republt-
can party called the square dear has
a working majority in the legislature
are the republicans opposed to cor
pOrate control OF politics through the
grand lodge Of politics This wing OF
the republican party is in favor OF
1r-H hrr#
interference Of the Topeka club. And
the mere fact that this element OF the
party has majority Of the legislature
indicates nothing except that the peO-
pie are tired Of OId-time conditions.
It does not prove that the people viii
get anything out Of the Kansas legis-
lature. for unless the legislators rep
resenting the liberal progressive ele-
ment Of the republican party organize
and unless the people organize and
stay organized until this fight for the
fundamentals OF decent government is
won, the forces prOfting by a govern
ment granting special privileges viii
win
The situation is this: Four i'm
portant matters are before the leg
islature; the passage Of the three
laws to which the square deal move
ment pledged itself and the election
Of a United States senator who Is not
under political and railroad control.
rect primary law which shall give the
people a direct voice in the nOmina-
ton Of United States senator and Of
state, county, city and township Of
ficers; an anti-pass law which Will
make every man Of every calling pay
cash for his railroad transportation,
and a tax law that will rake railroads
pay taxes on the property which the
people pay interest on in the way OF
fixed charges.
Unless there is an organization OF
the forces in favor Of these things, q
distinct agreement TO stand together
upon all Of these things. the election
Of a senator and the enacUment Of the
three important laws the railroads
and the politicians will catch each one
out alone and lick it Mr.. Stubs, Mr..
Murdoch, Mr.. Benson, Mr.. BristOw
and MI Getty have one thing in COM
mon which should be more important
to either Of them than his own cleo
ton, and that is the elevation Of 4
man like any one Of them to the SEN
ate and the defeat Of the railroad can
didate- The victory Of Charles Cur
tbs which is impossible without Doodle
and strategy, would set the clock Of
Kansas back to the DAYS Of Jim Le-
gate and Pete Kline
THE passage Of the laws pledged by
the square deal movement is more
vital to Kansas, however, than the
election Of either Of these men, And
IL Is the uuLN OF these decent CcLLllA-
dates for the senate to waive their
personal ambitions and to urge the
organization Of the progressive eIe-
ments Of the party against the BOur-
bOns who learn nothing an7 forget
nothing in Kansas politics
Moreover, the duty OF the people
Of this state did not end with the
election Of an honest legislature The
people should organize also. The fed
Grafton Of commercial Interests which
did so much in the legislature two
years ago should be revived and
brOadened to take in every citizen OF
Kansas who believes in honest pro-
gressive government The politicians
and the railroads have high salaried
men at Topeka, Scheming and plan
ming to put ashes on the slide to
ward good government It wiz be
hard shedding at first, but unless the
people organize, unless the night IS
kept up until the promises OF the leg
islature to the people are kept, the
victory Of the election viii be hol-
low mOckery- Honest men in Kansas
must get together in and out OF the
legislature and not give up the fight