Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1907-12-11

dppOiHlCd MN, ny AhAOAOhOO, VI &c
ing engaged 'in a rabid, Populistic
crusade but after all is 1t right?
Well may Senator Long exclaim as
as he reads the virulent attack of
Luther on the law that he, Long,
says he supported with all his pow
er. How sharper than a serpent's
tooth is the ingratitude of post
master after his appointment has
been confirmed
"We observe that Luther has
shifted his ground since commenc-
ing his articles intended to correct
his old boss. At first he seemed
to undertake defense of The pres
, ent hotch potch of government and
state control, now he denounces the
whole system if system it may be
called, and comes out squarely in
favor of letting the railroads abso-
lutely alone. If he will hunt up our
original article he will see that we
gave it as our opinion that state
and national control of railroads
Will not De success.
eve said then and still say that
in our Judgment no business can be
a success with from forty to fifty
different masters. We seriously
question whether even two control
ing powers can make a success of
the business. Either the entire con-
troll will eventually be taken over
by the government or the Interstate
| Commerce commission will become
simply a mild advisory body,whose
suggestions will be needed or not
by the railroad managers, depend
ing on whether or not the sugges-
tions are in accord with the ideas
of the said managers. The right to
regulate, to fix rates that the rail-
roads may charge for their services
implies the right to own. Regula-
ton we believe will not be salts
factory and ownership will be the
final solution.
eve note that a good deal of
our old partners article is given
over to sarcasm. This is to be re-
GREETED as sarcasm is not Luther's
fort. His mental movements in
this line are heavy, and cumber-
some like the movements of the
trained elephant when he attempts
the may waltz in the ring. 1t must
be said, however, that his sarcasm
rather excels his arguments which
have little or no sense in them at
all. He says that if the govern.
ment goes into the ownership bust
ness its first duty would be to su-
pervise the marriage relation.
at may be news to Luther, but if
he will get copy of the statutes
and diligently read the same he
| will find that the state has under.
taken to do that very thing aud he
should further know that the ques.
ton is being gravely discussed by
the most profound students of So
GEOLOGY as to what means ought to
be employed by the government to
prevent improper marriages. He
might further find that the state
does assume largely the supervision
of the raising of the children and
that as government advances law
makers take more and more ad-
vanced grounds on that subject.
However, we have insisted and still
insist that the discussion should be
confined to the matters that are up
for discussion now. There is no
use to get out all over the entire
field of human thought anddiscuss
In a newspaper article all of the
things about which men and wom-
en- are thinking.
Government is the result of ex-
pertinent and evolution. 1t origi-
mated in force and for centuries was
almost entirely personally, that is,
it was maintained by the force of
character of the head, the king of
chief. 1t Twas maintained also pri-
marily for'his benefit and the bene.
fit of his mobiles and not for the
benefit of the people he ruled. The
new doctrine that government
should be organized and maintain.
ed for the benefit of the people was
promulgated and put into opera
ton when this government was
founded. Mems ideas of the prop.
er functions of government are
constantly changing, but the trend
is constantly toward the enlarge
ment of governmental powers.
How far it is wise to 60 in this
direction we certainly are not wise
enough to say. That MANY mis-
takes will be made by the people
IN their struggle toward an ideal
government, where the rights of the
weak shall be properly protected
: and the power and creed &c A..