Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-08-25
STUFFED CLUB POLITICS


JACOB SCHIFF of the Western
Union and Milton L. Wyck, a
u New York banker, together with
a small army of corporation officials,
are now in aggravating evidence on
the subject of the awful effects of the
'big stick" on the earnings of rail-
roads, Wyck even going so far as to
say, in a speech at Detroit, that it all
meant "hysterical legislation" and said
that the present efforts to restrain
profits of railroads will make consti-
tutional liberty a hollow mockery I'M
less the supreme court intervenes to
prevent.
Just how the Roosevelt Taft-Bona-
parte stuffed club" program can be
a mockery, in the light of the claims
of these gentlemen, it is difficult to
see, unless the stuffing in the club at
the behests of Wyck's allies constitutes
the mockery. Constitutional liberty is
live, virile but sadly abused thing,
or the railroad strangle hold on the
people never could be, as it was in
accordance Herewith that its sponsors
say they brought it into being, and
are even now appealing thereto to
strengthen it.
Let us recapitulate. Under the law
and in accordance with the constitu-
as common carriers. They waxed fat
and kicked at all law and made their
own laws, in the form of extortionate
and discriminating rates, the latter
proving to be the worst of the two.
The people stood it to the limit of
forbearance and then enacted more
law, always in accordance with the
constitution, which, If executed, will
put a uuietus on railroad robbery In
the guise of lawful fares and rates,
and the president seeks to enforce that
new law. In his determined work he
finds federal law necessary and obtains
1t and waves "big stick" loaded with
the bitter wrongs of the people, and
succeeds in landing one telling blow,
when, presto! all the cabal of wealthy
stock manipulators arise and cry out
against the punishment, and say 1t is
unconstitutional. To meet that cry,
because it may keep said moneyed men
from due and necessary part In the
coming election, the Club or stick
is conveniently stuffed with innocuous
phrases and impotent figures of speech,
till it's further blows may not be dread
ed by any millionaire of them all,
Now what more can Mr.. Wyck ask?
Why look to the supreme court to
intervene when Roosevelt, Taft, Stratus,
Shaw, Bonaparte and all the official
following they can command are
stamping the nation, even so far as
Honolulu, and telling the people they
mean to clean out all robber railroads
and other contrivances aimed at honest
business, and yet fail to strike a Sec
ond blow, even where they have the
culprit on the floor, as in the case of
the Alton. road?
No, no; Mr.. Wyck! The present
efforts to restrain profits on railroads
are efforts only in the Pickwickian
sense, and are, with the policy of the
men who are making them, anything
but hollow moekery--they are a
stuffed mockery, Mr. Wyck, and the
"club'' is in evidence to prove 1t. AS
the days come and go and bring the
Ides of convention time nearer the
need Of Intervention by the supreme
court will not be felt at all; for by
that time the control of the stock
market on the one hand and of the
"standpattersp with Joe Cannon on
the other viii be so complete over the
''big stick proposition that even sMr.
Wyck will not feel his constitutional
liberty to be in danger.
In parenthesis It may be stated, for
the information of Mr., Wyck and his
confreres, that about the time Of the