The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-14
why FOR TAFT.
CONTINUED from Page one.)

pathy and support, and the policies fof
which stand are his policies as much
as mine.
1t is not possible in the space of this
letter to discuss all the many and in
finitely varied questions of moment
with which Mr.. Taft as presiden:
would have to deal; let him be judged
by what he has himself done, and by
what the administration, in which he
has played so conspicuous a part, has
done. But to illustrate just what his
attitude is, let me touch on two mat
tiers now prominent in the public mind.
Mr.. Taft can, be trusted to exact JUS
tice from the railroads for the very
reason that he can be trusted to do
justice to the railroads. The railroads
are the chief instruments of Interstate
commerce in the country, and they can
neither be held to a proper accounta-
bility on the one hand nor given proper
protection on the other, save by the
affirmative action of the federal gov
eminent. The law as laid down by the
federal courts clearly shows that the
states have not and cannot devise laws
adequate to meet the problems caused
by the great growth of the railroads
doing an interstate commerce business
for more than four-fifths of the bust
ness of the railroads is interstate, and
under the constitution of the United
States only the federal government can
exercise control thereover. 1t is abso-
lutely necessary that this control
should be affirmative and thOroughgO-
ing. All Interstate business carried on
by the great corporations should, in
the interest of the whole people, be FAR
more closely supervised than at pres
ent by the national government; but
this is especially true of the railroads,
which cannot exist at all save by the
exercise of powers granted them on be-
half of the people, and which, there
fore. should be held to peculiar ac-
countability to the people.
The Peoples Interests.
1t is in the interest of the people that
they should not be permitted to do in
Justice; and it is no less to the interest
of the people that they should not suf-
fer injustice. Their prime purpose is
to carry the commodities of the farm
ers and the business men; they could
not be built save for the money con-
tributed to them by their shareholders
they could not be run at all save for
the money paid out in wages to the
railroad employees; and. finally, they
could not be run judiciously. or profit
ably to any one. were it not for the
employment by them of some master
full guiding intelligence, whether of one
man or of group of men. There are
therefore several sets of interests to be
considered. Each must receive proper
consideration, and when any one OF
them selfishly demands exclusive con-
sideration the demand must be refused.
Along certain lines all of these groups
have the same interests. 1t is to the
interest of shipper. farmer, wage
worker, business man. honest share
holder, and honest manager alike that
there should be economy, honesty, In
telligence, and fair treatment of all. |
To put an effective stop to stock wa
tering would be a benefit to everybody |
except the swindlers who profit by |
stock watering; it would benefit the |
honest shareholder because honest in |
veStmentS would not be brought into |
competition with mere paper; it would |
benefit the Wage-worker because when |
the money earned does not have to go |
to paying interest on watered capital |
more of it is left, out of which to pay |
wages. it would benefit the shipper be- |
cause when only honest stockholders
have to be paid interest, rates need not |
be improperly raised; it would benefit |
the public because there would be |
ample money with which to give eff |
ficient service. Similarly, the proven |
ton of favoritism as among shippers
does no damage to any one who is |
honest, and confers great good upon |
the smaller business man and the |
farmer, whom relieves Of oppression.
such supervision of accounts |
and management as will prevent CROOK |
edness and oppression works good, d.
rectly or indirectly, to all honest peo-
done along all these lines should be |
done; and no mans legitimate interest
would thereby be hurt. But after this
point has been reached great care must |
be exercised not to work injustice to |
one class in the effort to show favor to |
another class, and each class naturally |
tends to remember only it's own needs. |
The stockholders must receive an am |
pie return on their investments, or the |
railroads cannot be built and success
krI
shippers and the wages to employees,
from the highest to the lowest. must
all be conditioned upon this fact. On
the other hand, in a public service
we have no right to allow
such excessive profits as will necessi-
tate rates being unduly high and
wages unduly low. Again, while in all
proper ways rates must be kept low,
we must always remember that we
have no right and no justification to
reduce them when the result is the re
duction of the wages of the great army
Of railroad men. fair Working ar |.
must be devised according I
to the needs of the several cases, SO
that profits, wages and rates shall each
be reasonable with reference to the
other two-and in wages I include the
large amounts which should
always be paid to those whose master
full ability is required for the success
full direction of great enterprises. Com
binations which favor such an equit-
able arrangement should themselves be
favored and not forbidden by law; al
though they should be strictly super
vised by the government through. the
interstate commerce commission which
should have power of passing sum-
marily upon not only the question of /
the reduction but the raising of rates.
Railroad Problem.
This railroad problem is itself one
Of the phases of one of the great
est and most intricate problems of
our civilization; for it's proper
solution we need not merely honesty
and courage, but judgment, good
sense, and entire "Reminiscences.
in such matter is as GER
tain to work evil as corruption itself |