The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1906-11-16
THE REPUBLIC M DAHGER
La TOILETTE FEARS
CORPORATE INFLUENCE 2
Less Than q Hundred Men Control
the Industrial System Of This
Nation

From Denver Times.
Representative Government was
the subject by Senator Robert ID La /
Toilette Of Wisconsin for the topic OF
a lecture delivered Saturday night be-
fore a large audience at Central Pres
byterian church With the appearance
OF the distinguished speaker on the
platform, accompanied BY Senator J.
n Patterson, a college yen OF greet
ing was extended by members OF the
alumni Of the University OF W1Scon-
sin belonging TO the class that had
graduated La Toilette. which placeQ
the speaker and his audience IN most
30 man IN the United States is bet
ter able to eXpOund such a theme as
Representative Government Inan
the man who forced the caplLallsllc
interests owning and controlling WIS
cOnsin to their launches Thus II was
that when the coming Of La Toilette
was announced BY the managers OF
the c. E Star course, those VINO want
ed the truth, pure and undehled from
a well Of deep experience hailed the
arrival Of the champion OF the peO-
with brief, welI-chosen Introductory
remarks Senator Patterson presented
his colleague in the United States SEN
For thirty years" said Senator La
Toilette, the public service corpora
tons Of this country have dominated
city, county, state and nauOnal gov
ernments During that time, except
for two sessions, they have controlled
the national congress- and important
LEGISLATION adversely affecting their in
terests could not be passed
Less than a hundred men control
the industrial system Of this nation,
he continued Eight men control
$4,000, 100000 Of the S13,OOO,OOO,OOO
Of railroad capital This cOncentTa-
ton Of wealth in the hands Of the few
~ TO
control all branches OF government in
terests by the men Of money This
danger threatens the very foundations
Of the government and the republic
cannot endure unless remedy IS
found
Tracing the commercial develop
ment of the country, the speaker
pointed out that ''at the beginning Of
the nations life the individual and
small partnerships commanded SUI
ness Then the corporation was ere
ated by law and within the twenty
years the combinations Of corpora
tons or trusts came into existence
Not satisfied with a combination
which controls one branch Of indus
try, our fnanciers have formed a com
binatiOn OF combinations, q union OF
trusts. You cannot name a line Of
business which is not dominated by
this new system
In reviewing the story Of the bill
for national regulation La Toilette
said:
Thirty years fighting was required
to place the present defective law on
the statutes. A few years ago We had
5000 railroad systems Now we have
six systems, controlled by eight men
The national government should
eXpend 100000 in an expert exam1-
nation OF the railroads to ascertain
their real value, and thereafter rates
should be fixed at figures which would
permit the railroads to earn fair d.
vidends on that valuation"
During the fight previous ID the pas
sage of the rate bill by congress Sen
asCr- Ia Toilette was 2 most FIXTURES
que figure, insisting on a regular read
ing of the roll calls that the names Of
the senators who were supporting him
might be known by all men
"Aii Of my amendments were laid
on the table" said he, aid nov, be-
cause am reading these roll calls,
they say they will lay me on the table
when congress cOnvenes- But 1 serve
notice that I will not remain on the
table unless the lid is screwed down
This government shall never be de-
strOyed by any armed force within
or without its borders The danger to
the republic comes from corrupt and
inSidiOus influences which are under
mining its foundations If corruption
only flew a flag or Numbered its chal-
lenge from q cannon we would not be
in danger
A high tribute was paid by Senator
La Toilette to the representatives OF
Colorado in the senate. "On every
roll call the senators from Colorado
voted right, and, although on some Of
those calls Senator Patterson was
compelled to be absent, I knew where
he stood and conferred with him con-
stantly," he said.
The vital point today is that rep
resentative government is getting
away from the people and must be
restored to them 1 have infinite faith
in the peoples ability to remedy these
conditions. It is only necessary for
RI vr-a ken