The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-08-31


the tariff levied not for revenue. but
for the avowed purpose of protection
is that 1t fosters the idea that men
should use their votes to advance their
own financial interests. The manufac%
turer has been assured that it IS le-
climate for aim to vote for congress-
men. who, whatever their opinions on
other subjects may be, will legislate
larger dividends into his pockets;
sheep growers have been encouraged
to believe that they would have no
higher aim in voting than to raise the
price of wool; and laboring men have
been urged to make their wages their
only concern.
For a generation the fat has been
fried out of the manufacturers by
the Republican congressional commit
tee, and then the manufacturers have
been reimbursed by legislation. With
the public conscience educated to be-
lieve that this open purchase of leg
islation was entirely proper, no Won
der that insurance companies have
used the money of their p~OlicyholderS
to carry eleetions-nO wonder that
trusts have fastened to purchase i'm
munity from punishment with liberal
donations.
How can we draw a moral distinc-
ton between the man who sells his vote
for SIS on election day and the
S5, 200, payable in dividends2 Nv can
we draw d moral line between - SEN
atoFi or congressman elected by the
trusts 10 prevent hostile legislation and
the senator or congressman kept in con-
gress by the manufacturers to secure
friendly l~egislation2 The party which
justifes the one form of bribery can not
be relied upon to condemn the other.
There never was a time when tariff
reform could be more easily entered
upon, for the manufacturers by selling
abroad cheaper than at home, as many
lsoft them do. have not only shown their
ingratitude toward those who built the
tariff wall for them. but they have
demonstrated their ability to sell IN
competition with the world. The high
tariff has long been q burden to the
consumers in the United States, and it
is growing more and more a ena to
our foreign commerce because It arouses
resentment and provokes retaliation
Regulation Of Railroads.
The railroad question is also inter
woven with the trust question. Nearly
all the private monopolies have received
rebates or secured other advantages
over competitors. Absolute equality OF
treatment at the hands of the railroads
would 60 far toward Gripping the trusts
n 1 rejoice that the president has had
the courage to press the question upon
congress. While the law, as it was
finally distorted by the senate, is not
all that could be wished, it deserves q
fair trial.
Rate regulation was absolutely nee
ssary and it furnishes some relief from
the unbearable conditions which prev
iously existed. but we must not forget
that the vesting of this enormou power
in the hands of the commission appoint
ed by the president Introduces a new
danger. If an appointive board has the
! power to fix rates and can by the exer-
else of that power, increase or decrease
by hundreds of millions of dollars the
annual revenues of the railroads., win
not the railroads feel that they have a
large p~ecunfary interest in the election
OF a president friendly to the railroads?
Experience has demonstrated tina
municipal corruption is largely trace
able to the fact that franchise corpora
tions desire to control the city council
and thus increase their dividends. If
their managers adopt the same policy
the sentiment in favor of the ownership
OF. the railroads by the government IL
likely to Increase as rapidly throughout
the country as the sentiment In favor
Of municipal ownership has increased n
the cities.
Favors Public Ownership.
II ave already reached the conclus-
ion that railroads partake so much Of
the nature Of a monopoly that they must
ultimately become public property and
be. managed by public officials in the IN
terest of the whole community in ac-
cordapce with the well defined theory
hat public ownership is necessary where
competition is possible.
q do not know that the country -
ready for this change. I do not know
that a majority of my own party favorz
II. but I believe that an increasing nuH-
Der Of the members OF all parties see n
public ownership the sure remedy faR
Determinations between persons ana
politics and for the extortionate rats
for the carrying Of freight III passena
gers.
believing. however. that the opezas
ton of all the railroads by the federal
government would result in q eentreEf-
cation which would all but ob1iterate
Estate lines, I prefer to see only 1ha
trunk lines operated by the federal gov
errment and the local lines by the sew
era1 state governments.
Some have opposed this dual owner
ship as Impractical, but Investigation in
Europe has convinced me that IL is en-
tirely practicable.
Nearly all the railroads Of
are owned by the several states. the
empire not even owning the trunk lines.
and yet the interstate trafnc ia in no
wise INSTRUCTED. In travelling from
Constantinople to Vienna one passes
through Turkey, Bulgaria, Seryia,
Hungary and a par of Austria without
a change OF cars, and yet each country
owns and operates its own roads and
different languages are spoken on the
different divisions OF the line. Sweden
tand Norway each owns its railroads.
but they have no trouble about 1nters
state traffic, although their political re.
lations are somewhat strained.