The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-03-26
KANSAS COMAENT
RETURNING SANITY.


The decision of the United States
supreme court yesterday, declaring
unconstitutional the drastic freight
rate law passed some time ago by the
Minnesota legislature. is. of course. of
greatest interest to the people of that
state. But it causes some curiosity
TO the entire country as to how much
of the recent reform legislation will
get by the highest tribunal, and, Incl
dentally, the one least interested in
politics or popular prestige. The Min
nesota case also shows the importance
of conservatism and fairness. even in
the matter of reform legislation,
which has heretofore manifested a.
tendency to Ego it blind" The Min
nesota rate law fell short of the con-
stitutionu requirements because the
penalties imposed were out of pro-
portion to the offense covered by the
statute, and because the rates re-
CURED could not be profitably met by
the railroads. Even railroad men
concede the right of state or nation
to regulate its common carriers, but
1t should be remembered there is a
difference between regulation and
persecution and conf1scation In the
light of recent events, and without
waiting for the supreme court to pass
on all laws enacted by reform legisla-
lures, 1t seems apparent that many of
the state railway rate laws have been
drawn up with the object of injuring
the railways rather than benefting
the public. That they have sue
ceeded IN doing this is shown in a
hundred ways. The railway industry
has probably suffered more in the
recent panic and resultant hard
ests of the country, although none
has entirely escaped. This is, doubt
less, due to the fact that the rail-
roads have been the object of more
persistent and unreasonable attacks
from political denagogues, whose
stock in trade is popularity, than any
other industry. The people are now
awakening to the fact, somewhat
late, perhaps, that any law which is
unfair to the hated corporations,
which fails to allow them to make a
reasonable profit for maintenance and
interest on the investment. is equally
unfair to the people; it robs them
of the privilege of working at good
wages, and hard times and hardship
ensue. For this reason. the late de-
cision of the supreme court in the
Minnesota rate case, is not likely to
nave done had it been handed down
few months earlier. There is
slight reactionary tendency in the
country at present, and. judged from
past and present conditions it is a
sensible one.-Atchison Globe.
NUTTY NEW YORK.
Queer things go on in New York,
where they laugh at Kansas people as
'rubes." Flora Winston, a 17-year-old
girl. lately caused the arrest of Ray
mond Hitchcock, an actor, claiming
that he had treated her Indignantly.
A meddlesome lot of men banded to-
gether as the Gerry society,"" took an
interest in the Winston girls case, and
Hitchcock was brought to trial. The
trial ended with the girl saying she
lied about Hitchcock; that he had never
mistreated her in. any way. Being
asked why she told the story, she said
the members of the Gerry society
now In Jail, charged with perjury. It
was because of a. similar story that
Stanford White, the best known Amer
lean architect; was murdered. He was
abused like thief during the trial of
his murderer, and today lies in a dis
honored grave.-Atchison Globe.