The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-06-01
Issues on Which He Made Race
for Senate.
FORFEDERALCONTROL
Pleased With Presidents
Straight Out Talk.
Testing Kansas Sentiment on
the Taft Proposition.

and speaking of President Roosevelt
speech in favor of federal charters for
railroads, which was the principal IS
sue" made by Mr.. Stubs in his race
for the senate last winter, and wh1ch
was the subject of an acrimonious
newspaper debate between Mr.. Stubps
and Bale P. Waggener, said:
ct am of course much pleased TO
see the president come out so strongly
for this plan of federal control of cor
porations, as it removes the cause and
will cure the evil.
THE corporation owned newspap-
ers. together with Brother Bale Wag-
gener can now charge President
Roosevelt with having railroad rabies,
being a demagogue, and all the other
offenses credited by them to the pro-
= gressive class of Republicans during
the past year or two.
This is me most radical position
have ever taken with reference to any
legislation, and it IS extremely graft
flying to me to know that President
Roosevelt considers it a sound, safe
and effectual remedy for the greatest
evil of the day.
The following is what President
Roosevelt said about the federal char
ter plan in his Indianapolis speech on
May 80:
There must be vested in the feder-
al government full power of super
vision and control over the railroads
doing interstate business; a power in
many respects analogous to and as
complete as that the government exer-
ciseS over the national banks. 1t must
possess the power to exercise super
vision over the future issuance of
stocks and bonds. either through ma
tional incorporation (Which 1 should
prefer) or in some similar fashion,
such supervision to include the frank
publicity of everything which would
be investors and the public at large
have right to know. The federal
government will thus be able to pre-
vent all overca pitalization in the fu-
ture."
Mr.. Stubs declaration in favor of
the federal charter was made in sew
eTal open letters to the public during
the Bale Waggener controversy Mr.
Stubs said in part:
THE remedy for over and fictitious
capita lfzation as well as the combina-
ton and the consolidation of cOrpOra-
tfons for the purpose Of DESTROYING
competition seems plain and clear to
my mind, and I am of the unqualified
opinion that the Kansas delegation in
congress should advocate and if pos
sible secure the enactment of a federal /
statute providing that every corpora
ton engaged in Interstate business
snail secure a federal charter. and
providing in that charter that no
stocks, bonds or securities can be is /
sued without the approval and under
the direct supervision of the depart /
ment IN charge. The charter might |
also include among other conditions
anti-dfscrimination and anti-consoIida- /
ton features. If. after careful investf- !
cation, such provisions were deemed !
necessary and advisable. the charter /
TO De revoked on violation of its terms
or conditions
Every corporation. in the United
states can be controlled as effectuaIIy,
completely and as satisfactorily as the |
national bank, if congress can be in
duced to support a measure that is
founded on solid rock and constructed
entirely within the spirit and meaning
OF our constitution The difficulty is
not and has not been in fra ming a bill !
that IS sound, conservative fair and
enectlve. The indications are that the
tremendous influence of the corpora
tons in politics and the fear of the
politicians of mourning their displeas-
ure is the milk of the cocoanutr
Just before President Roosevelt
made his speech endorsing the position
taken by Mr.. Stubs, the Kansas state
bankers association, composed of the
most conservative men in the state.
passed a resolution strongly endorsing
the federal charter plan as advocated
by Mr.. Stubs.
Congressman CaIderhead, of the Fifth
district. who has a well earned repu-
tation for standing up for what he
constituents want him to do, is now
said to be hostile to Taft for the Re
publican presidential nomination. OF
course Mr.. Calderhead does not say
that he is fighting Taft. He is nom
committal on all political matters. But |
those who claim to have penetrated his |
amor belt of reserve declare that the
Fifth district congressman is far from !
being a Taft man. 1t is likely that |
will line up for Fairbanks
or Foraker.
Calderhead is the political enigma of
Kansas. He is a defender of trusts and
railroads, an enemy of organized labor.
and a stand patter'' on the tariff and
Yet he represents a district of the state
of Kansas which disa grees with him
on all these issues.
c. S. Watts, representing the Cleve-
land Leader, was in Topeka Friday
testing the public pulse of Kansas on
the Taft proposition. He finds it nor
NAL. indicating a healthy state of de-
NelOpment for the Taft boom Mr.
Watts has visited every state west of
VIII now start out on a tour of the
eastern states. He expects to visit ev-
cry state in the Union. The Cleveland
Leader is friendly to Taft.
Mr.. Watts interviewed a number of
the leading politicians in the city to-
day. and in speaking of the general
results of his work, said:
Throughout the entire western and
central portions of the United States.
the sentiment is almost unanimous that
the country wants some presidential
candidate satisfactory to Roosevelt.
the majority of people, and to receive
the bulk of the endorsement of the
friends of Roosevelt
In Illinois there is a good deal of
talk about giving Cannon the compIi-
mentary votes of the state, but the