The Topeka state journal., 1908-01-31

public servants In their several stations
must strive to stop the abuses of the
/ criminal r1ch-such man performs an
4 even worse service to the body polite
/ than the legislator or executive who
| goes wrong. The Judge who does his
1ull duty Well stands higher, and rem
ders better service to the people, than
any other public servant; he is entitled
| TO greater respect; and If he is a true
| servant OF the people, If he is upright,
| wise and fearless, he will unhesitating
| ly disregard even the wishes Of the
people II they conflict with the eternal
principles of right as against wrong.
| He must serve the people; but he must
| serve his own conscience first. All
| honor to such a judge; and all honor
| can not be rendered him if it is rem
| dered equally to his brethren who fall
| immeasureably below the high ideals
! for which he stands. Untruthful critic
ism is wicked at all times, and who
| ever may be the object; but it is a
peculiarly fragrant iniquity when a
| judge is the object. No man should
| lightly critfcise a judge; no man should,
| even in his own mind. condemn a judge
| unless he is sure of the facts. If
| judge is assailed for standing against
| popular folly, and above all for stand
| ing against mob violence, all honorable
men should rally instantly to his sup
port Nevertheless If he clearly fails
| to do his duty by the public In dealing
| with lawbreaking corporations, law
breaking men Of wealth, he must ex-
| pect to feel the weight Of public opin-
| ion; and this Is but right, for except
| in extreme cases this Is the only way
| in which he can be reached at all. No
| servant of the people has a right to ex-
| pect to be free from just and honest
criticism.
| The opponents of the measures we
| champion single out now one and now
another measure for especial attack.
and and speak as if the movement in
nomic. 1t has a large economic side,
| but it is fundamentally an ethical
movement. It is not a movement which
| must be persevered in until the spirit
which lies behind it sinks deep into
the heart and the conscience of the
whole people. 1t is always important
to choose the right means to achieve
our purpose, but it is even more i'm
portant to keep this purpose clearly
before US; and this purpose is to secure
national honesty in business and in
politics. We do not subscribe to the
cynical belief that dishonesty and un-
fair dealing are essential to business
success, and are to be cOndOned when
the success is moderate and applauded
when the success is great. The meth
DDS by which the Standard Oil people
and those engaged in the other COM
binations of which I have spoken above
have achieved great fortunes can only
be justified by the advocacy of sys-
tenn of morality which would also JUS
tify every form of criminality on the
part Of labor union and every form
of violence, corruption, and fraud, from
murder to bribery and ballot-box stuff
ing in politics. We are trying to Sc
cure equality of opportunity for all;
and the struggle for honesty is the same
whether it is made on behalf Of one set
Of men or of another. In the interest of
the small settlers and landowners, and
against the embittered opposition of
wealthy owners Of huge wandering
focks of sheep, or of corporations de- |
string to rob the people of coal and !
timber, we strive to put an end to the
theft Of public land in the west. When |
we do this, and protest against the ac- |
ton Of all men, whether in public life |
or in private life, who either take part |
in or refuse to try to stop such theft, |
we are really engaged in the same pol |
icy as when we endeavor to put a stop |
to rebates or to prevent the upgrowth 7
Of uncontrolled monopolies. Our effort |
is simply to enforce the principles of
common honesty and common sense.
1t would indeed be i'll for the country
should there be any halt in our work.
To Turning Back.
The laws must in the future be ad-
ministered as they are now being ad-
ministered, so that the department of
justice may continue to be, what it
now is. in very fact the department
of justice, where SO far as our ability
even hand to great and small, rich
and poor. weak and strong More
over, there should be no delay in
supp1ementing the laws now on the
statute books by the enactment Of
further legislation as outlined in the
sembling. Under the existing laws
very much, has been actually
during the past six
years, and it has been shown by ac-
fInf 6o
forced against the wealthiest corpor-
alton and the richest and most pow
erful manager or manipulation of that
as vigorously and fear
lessly as against the humb1est Offend
er. Above all, they have been enforc-
ed against the very wrongdoers and
agents Of wrongdoers who have for
SO many years gone scot-frees and
houted the laws with impunity,
against great 1aw-defying corpora :
tions of immense wealth, which, until
within the last half dozen years, have
treated themselves anG have expected |
others to treat them as being beyond
and above all possible check from I
law.
1t is especially necessary to secure
to the representatives Of the national :
government full power to deal with I
the great corporations engaged in in {
commerce, and above all. ]
with the great interstate common I
carriers. Our people should clearly !
recognize that while there are diff :
culties in any course of conduct to be :
in dealing with these great S
these difficulties must t
pc faced, and one of three courses :
The first course is to abandon all :
effort to oversee and control their a
lotions in the interest of the general h
public and to permit a return to the n
liter lack Of control which would OBJ t
ain II they were left to the common :
aw. 1 do not for one moment be-
ieve that our people would tolerate a
his position. The extraordinary 7
growth Of modern industrialism has Il