The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-27

they have proof to sustain tnelr allega-
tions.
If 1t be true that such a rate is pFae-
teal then why not authorize the rail
road board to put just and reasonable
rate in force2 Would it not be just as
reasonable that we should make our
platform a little larger and declare OUT
selves in favor of certain specified
freight rates2 BY being specific enough
and by making our amended platform
large enough we ought to be able to get
the unanimous vo Of all shippers in
the state
Again these guardians Of the public
welfare insist upon making the giving
of transportation to any person except
employees and the members Of their FAM
lilies, a crime. Why they insist upon
permitting the giving of transportation
to the mem bers of the employees family
is not apparent. If there is anything in
such an act at all that justiffes the
making of the act a statutory crime the
same reason will bar the giving of
transportation to any one except en-
ployes and viii necessitate the limiting
Of this pOrtation to such times as
the employe may actually be engaged IL
the railway service.
These people start from wrong
premise. It is true that these public
service corporations owe certain obi
cations to the public but this obligatio
does not extend so far as to permit the
public to guard the treasury of the
roads; it does not give public domino
ton OF the roads business affairs in the
absence Of government ownership. This
property this treasury belongs to the
stockholders of the road and not to the
people of the state. If these roads ex~
tort unreasonable charges from the peo-
PIE they may be corrected because the
people have the right to a reasonable
use of the railway system, for this was
the condition of the original grant The
people have no right to complain If
road makes charge too light in the
absence of unreasonable discrimination
of persons or localities. The business
politics of the road belongs to the road
and not to the people of the state. As
business policy the road has the abso-
lutte right to give transportati ton to
members of the family of its employees
or to any other person. They must be
permitted to run their own affairs just
as newspa pers, lawyers and physicians
are permitted to exercise their own bus
mess policies A newspaper may, if it
deems it polite, give space to one of its
patrons; a lawyer may give free advice
to his nefghbors If he chooses. It is mat
ter OF business policy and none of the
affairs of the public
On the other hand the state in the
management of its affairs may if it
deems it inJudicious that the Officers
and servants use free transportation,
forbid it. It may make such action an
C1IenSe- AS a CQTTSidllNS DIOJOSillOn II
may properly to aid it in enforcing its
mandate bar the railway from giving
its officials transportation The legis-
lation, however. should primarily be d.
rected toward the official as the direct
agent of evil, the rest should be incl
dental toward enforcing the prohibition.
The state would never be justified from
any standpoint if it prohibited the is
suance of transportation to persons not
connected with the state administration
for over them it has no such donineer-
ing control neither has it the right to
dictate the business policy of a railway
company. The Republican party can
not afford to place itself in the position
of favOring government control and
private ownership
But they want one other amend
ment. They propose the present sys-
tenn Of railway taxation be abolished
and the system now ia vogue as to per
Sons generally be substituted The mo-
tives OF the persons advocating this
last proposition are not free from sus-
pfefon. The political personnel of
recent gathering of the hosts does not
tend to the belief that they are not
aetuated by personal motives. Possibly
the only moving force may be pat
riotic Intentions but they should be
required to prove their case. The
newspaper whose free transportation
was recently cut off was very fully rep
resented. The politician who for the
past ten years has been no closer to
the party than to enable him to touch
the tail board of the band wagon
with the tips of his fingers was in his
element; the candidate who returned
his pass at the close of his political
career and announced his honesty IN 4
column was factor: the gentleman
who failed to land for himself and i'm
mediate friends all of the Offices within
the present administratio control
had front seat. They are entitled to
be heard but they have no credentials
for dictatorship.
If this is merely an attempt to stab
the public service corporations to sat
isfy the vengeance of a few the party
should not hear their walls: If the de-
mand is in good faith and for the sole
purpose of equalizfng taxation then the
only a question is as to the eXpediency
of the plan
What fair advantage can be derived
from the proposed changer If It re-
suits in placing these corporations at
the mercy of q. prejudiced community
then you can expect nothing else than
that the railroads will .redouble their
efforts to secure fair treatment. If
corruption Is presumed now, you viii
but increase the necessity for corrup-
ton hundred fold and will render
detection much more difficult. If 1t IS
simply an attempt TO make the rail-
roads more trouble and annoyance
then the party should be above taking
the position of the street gamin VIII
ties a can to a dogs tail just to hear
him howl and watch him run.
The fact is however. under the pres
ent system the railroads pay a greater
tax in proportion to their actual
wealth than does any merchant in the
state of Kansas. Take any ten bust
ness men in Shawnee county and com
pare their actual worth with their as
sessed valuation and you can prove the
assertion The "a TiSOn IS
true if applied to any farming com
munfty in the state Tax the railroad
as you tax the business man and you
Viii bankrupt tn e state. Tax the bust
ness men and farmers as you tax the
road and your levy viii be cut in two.
If the platform can be SO amended
that you place the party behind the
principle that all wealth within the
state must bear its fair and equal pro-
portion of taxes. you will have plat