The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-23

to fair treatment the same as individ-
uals, and no more. They should be
given equal and exact justice, but no
SPECIAL privileges. The power to fix
freight rates is the power to tax an
individual or community, and the
power to tax is the power to destroy.
The regulation of rates is essentially a
matter for the government as the rep
SentatlVes OF the people to take a hand
in, IN order that justice may be done
the people without doing injustice to
the common carriers. Those who suf-
fer from unjust rates should have the
right to have their complaints heard
and reasonable rates fixed by the com
merce commission. The move for this
reform IS not a move directed alone
against railroads, but the principle ap-
plies TO all patents and monOpolies
granted by the government. Upon the
same principle the government has the
right to regulate the charges to be ex-
acted from the people by all monop-
Olies. and the time may come when it
VIII be advisable to have appropriate
commissions for such purposes fix
the rates on patented and monopoly ar
ucles, so as to prevent extOrtion upon
the people, allowing to the owners of
governmental mOnopolies and patents
a fair return for labor skill and
genius When any mum Der of individ-
uals secure a monopoly on some Deces-
slty of life and exact from the De0nla
more than the natural price that Il a
graft Such are the great monoDolies
or trusts through which such colossal
fortunes have been built UP in the last
few years.
Movement Against Graft.
This movement against graft is not a
movement against wealth, but against
tne abuse of wealth The distineuishine
characteristic of this crusade for higher
l 1 IN public life and in private bust
ness, IS the conservatism of the people
Ihe people do not oppose riches honest
~ acquired, but they do object to the
abuses whereby some obtain great rich
eS- Ihey encourage legitimate industry
ana are not unfriendly to corporations
lnat obey the law. but thew demand
that corporations obey the law lust like
any one else. They demand that the
corporation magnate respect the law
that governs the conduct of the cor
poratiOn as he asks others to respect the
law that protects the property of the
corporation. The anarchy Of capital
breeding Iawlessness is no more coun-
tenanced than the anarchy of labor
breeding riot and disorder
We need more respect for existing
laws rather than more laws The only
way the people can rule is through the
laws made by their Representatives. If
these laws are not obeyed, then instead
Of a government by the people there is
government by those with wealth or
4lHuGlcE enough 10 OBTAIN Official multi
ncaIIOn OF the laws ANY official who
fails to carry out his oath to enforce
the laws is a traitor to his oath and the
people he represents The time viii
come when official oath breaking will
no more be submitted to than official
grating. The lawlessness of dramshops,
divekeepers, Of gamblers and Of trusts
should not be countenanced any more
than train robbery or any other form
Of outlawry Men may acquire wealth
~ To- ~Tr -
it is the wealth Of the buccaGeer and the
pirate, and not that obtained through
natural means. The people oppose the
artificial ways in which many immense
fortunes have been accumulated. The
laws of nature cannot be forever dis
Obeyed without bringing disaster. It is
impossible for any Of the great fortunes
of hundreds Of millions Of dollars that
have been piled up through the graft
system to be acquired naturally. If
Christ had avoided the cross. or if any
one of those who walked with Him had
remained on earth with man and preach
ed the gospel of salvation from that day
to this. and the world had paid Him
for every day Of the nineteen centuries
a salary of five hundred dollars day,
and He had saved every cent of it, his
piled up fortune would not nearly equal
shat Of Mr.. Carnegie. Had Providence
/ ordained that Adam, the first man,
should have life eternal here, and as
the ruler of his millions of descendants
he had received a salary of one hundred
and seventy-five dollars day, his six
thousand years savings would not bring
his fortune up to that Of Mr. Carnegie
Yet the wage of the average man is
nearer S1.75 a day than s175.00, and IN
stead of living six thousand years the
span of his life barely reaches forty
years. If a man were to receive a salary
/ OF ten thousand dollars a year, and save
every cent of it. he would have to live
I'VE thousand years before he could
match his fortune with that Of the
t Prince OF Oils. ACQUIRED through TIM
system Of special privileges salary
/ Of one hundred thousand dollars a year
paid TO some Of the Insurance -prssi.4-s.es
! seems TO be grossly exorbitant. Still
i the president of an insurance company
I If he received that salary and saved It
all. without grating on the side, or
using the trust funds to his own profit.
would have to toll and save five hum
dred years before he could acquire as
much as those at the head of the finan-
cial class today These cold figures are
staggering How is it that men can &C
cumulate in a few years as much as
/ under normal conditions It would take
tens of thousands Of years to obtain
This could not be done If the doctrine Of
equal rights prevailed: It is done be-