The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1907-09-19

the public conscience ON the railroad
question. What Is the position TAX
en- ty the railroad presidentsP They
deny the right OF the people Of the
state acting through their legislature
To tx the terms upon which the rail-
roads shall do business In that state.
They deny the right Of congress to
interfere with their privileges or the
right of government to fix the rates,
although they must know that 10
the fixing of railroad rates the mag
nate has made vigorous attacks upon
1.-THE rights of property"
Not only is the reformer the, real
defender OF property rights, but be Is
the best friend OF the very persons
who abuse bin. Just as that physi-
clan is the best one who points out
To his patient the dangers o: the dis.
ease from which he suffers and pro.
poses the best remedy, no matter
how severe, SO those are the best
friends of the rich WHO attempt TO
restrain excuses and 70 correct
abuses.
Jefferson In his first inaugural adj
dress describes the right of election
10y the people as "a mild aud safe
corrective OF abuses which are Topped
of by the sword of revolution where
peaceful remedies are unprovided. -
The reformer seeks by peaceful means
to correct abuses which, II not re.
formed by legislation. are sure soon.
er or later TO lead. first, TO bitterness
between the classes and finally Ia vi.
olence. Dickens in his Tale OF Two
Cities" gives his readers a picture OF
the French revolution were but the
natural result OF the crueltles which
the masses previously suffered at the
hands OF the aristocracy This is bis
language
"Along the Paris streets, the death
carts rumble. hollow and harsh. Six
tumbrils carry the days wine to La
Gnillollne All the devouring and
insatiate monsters imagined since
Imagination could record Itself, are
fused in the one realization, Guillo.
tine. And yet there is not in
France, with its rich variety of soil
aud climate, a blade, leaf, a root,
prig, peppercorn, which viii grow
To maturity under conditions more
certain than those that have produced
this borror, Crush humanity out OF
shape once more, under similar ham
mers, and II will twist itself into the
same tortured forms. Sow the sane
seede Of rapaeious license and oppres-
sion ever again, and IL will surely
yield the same fruit according 10 it's
kinu.
"Six tumbrils roll along the streets.
Change these back again to what
they were. thou powerful enchanter,
Time, aud they shall lac seen to he
the carriages OF absolute monarchs,
the cquipage OF feudal mobiles, the
toilettes of faring Jezabels, the
churches that are not my Fathers
I house but dens Of thieves, the butts
OF millions Of starving peasants.
1 The French arstocrats who showed
their contempt for human rights
were very sulicltous about property
rights, aud yet they we're IN fact the
/ deadliest enemies Of property and
property rights, because theii wan.
tonness provoked the attacks which
/ followed
The situation in this country today
is not what IL was In France prior
to the revolution. The extremes OF
society are not 50 far apart nor have
the evils now complained Of been car,
ried so far. And yet no one who has
studied the situation can be blind 4
the fact that the arrogance OF oul
dnanciels, and greed OF our railroad
magnates aud the avarice OF our mon
op9lists are creating gulf betseei
productive wealth and ptedator,
NFdat ~ bAA Hftt AAfN hNft pm dAgA
the very rich. TIE longer remedis
legislation is delayed the wider The
gulf grows, aud the alder the gulf
The gfester the danger. The lonRel
a needed reform Is delayed the mcf,
radical the remedy Is likely 10 te and
the more danger that the spirit Of
retaliation vii make Itself manifest
II is time 10 call a bait 1t IL
time 10 displace The corporate inGu
4 erces that n0s have such q powerful
hold upon politics, and 10 return II
a government 'uf the people, By %,
people, aud fer TIE people, - in ~hict
the property Of the poor a. we'll a.
the property Of &c yieb. the life oi
the obscure a. vel as the life - The
conspicuous, aud the liberty OF al
stall he protected ~ lsw. They ar,
the lest friends OF both human anc
property rights zbo lab0r most earn
esjly and masi iBjeiligentiy 70 cssrToci
iujBstice In government wherever
found. they are The most canEeFoui
enemies Of property rights as wfh Al
81 human rights aho either turn tb'
instrumentaiiiies ~ government 4
private gain or Hho, for -pHrRniarl
advantage. resist needed :emedia