The log cabin Democrat., 1907-10-10

to cause the tracks or equipment to be repaired whenever and wherever neces- sary. Make it penal offense to fail to carry out the laws. Another plan, which would be still more effective, would be to place the employees on the same level with passengers so far as recovering damages for injuries is concerned. Make the company absolutely liable for the injury or death of every emyloye caused by defective tracks or unsafe equipment. In other words, make 1t to the financial interest of the railroad owners to have their tracks safe. Make it cheaper to have good tracks than to pay for injured employes and the tracks will be safe, the travelling public will be protected and the lives of tens of thousands of railroad employees will be guarded. If the state cannot do something to protect the lives of its citizens, it might as well go out of the governing business.
 I have not spoken of the inconven fences and annoyances to which the people are constantly subjected by req son of delayed trains and the absolute entire absence of anything like schedule time in running trains. The railroad ! ment of trains is thing that concerns the company alone. They are mistaken. The people have rights in those matters and their rights must be respected. If elected governor of Arkansas, l pledge myself, not in any spirit of hos tility to the railroads, but as a duty to this people, to do all in my power to remedy these deplorable existing condi tions.
 Trusts and Unlawful Combinations.
 It is our proud boast that we live in a republic that guarantees to every citizen that stands under its flag equality and liberty. But there can be no equality and true liberty unless there IS an equal ity of opportunity and freedom of trade. Any combination that can, by the united action of few men, control any busl- ness or trade so that it drives men out of employment and prevents legitimate competition, is denial of equal oppor- tunity to the citizens, und menace to the best interests of the people. I am unalterably opposed to the trusts and conspiracies against trade whose object and result is the alarming enrichment of the few, and the enslavement of the many, which makes the millionaires richer and the great masses of the peo- pie poorer. l am in favor of the enforce ment of any law that strikes at these un- lawful combinations and no backward steps will be taken by me in driving all such pirates of commerce from the shores of our state.
 great sovereign state has the right to say upon what conditions and terms foreign corporation can enter its own | ~l. I,.@ mitted to obtain the benefits of the trade of our state unless 1t complies strictly with those laws which protect the peo- pie from the selfish demands of unlaw- full combinations.
 I am in favor also of those laws which protect the people in the enforcement of their rights in the courts of our own state.
 The New State Capitol Steal.
 In these piping days of peace in the civic affairs ot the nation and of our own state, there is no peace. With every breeze that blows there comes to our ears the cry of poodle and of graft. By the solemn records of our courts, as ev idence, these boodlers and grafters have infested our own glorious state. For years the slimy hand of graft has press ed the willing hand of our legislators, entered the pockets of the people and robbed them of their money, wrung by taxes from the toll of the masses. The courts of Little Rock aud of Perry coun- ty have been crowded with these bood- | ling cases. Among the most nefarious | bills which large and unfalthtul num- Der of our representatives have attempt ed to pass through the Legislature, no bill ever introduced into that body Is more glaring m its opportunities gwen to rob the people than the New State Capitol Bi of 1905, which carried with 1t an appropriation of eight hundred ,hou- sand dollars. All over this bill there was written plainly the fact that It was inspired by the very architect and con- tractors who were to receive its aavan- tages. Not content with the speed of this bill in its natural course of passage, they got so hungry that Caldwell & Drake boldly engaged themselves in bribing the legislature, and for that pur- pose they put up twentyone thousand dollars. Listen to what your own su preme court says about them in the Butt case, when referring to the boodling transactions of this very bill: 4 Certa1n firm Of contractors uefe specially 1nfer- ested ln the passage 0f M1S 61H, and the e1idence tended 10 sh0W hat they placed sezeyaL MouSand dollars IT. Me hands 0f co,,ubt and unScrubnl0us agents 10 6e used 10 bytbe 7Oeak and 0enai mem6erS 0f He Legislature info 0otine Jo, MlS 6iH.
 This bill was introduced about two wears after the contract was let, and within seven months of the time by which the contractors had agreed with the state to complete the capitol. Up to this time (April, I9o5,) busy with other work and naturally supposing that the state capitol was being honestly con structed, had never uttered word ot criticism against it. But when | saw all these suspicious movements. and discov- cred also that the contract for the con struction of the state capitol was not be- 1 inn honestly complied with, l then felt