The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-15

/ uQOnC0S ana the OLn0T LudI II Shall
not be manipulated for political pur-
poses. There are two principles to
/ which we can all subscribe. 1t is
quite possible the report of the COM
| mission of a definite decision may be
| delayed beyond the next session of
| congress. Meantime the members of
| the commission intend to institute
| campaign of education in order to
| arouse public opinion to the necessity
| of change in our monetary and
banking systems and to the advan-
! tageS that will arise from placing
some form of control over the money
market and the reserve in the hands
of an intelligent body of financiers re-
sponsible to the government.
Il am told that Mr.. Aldrich will
swing around the circle in the pres
ent fall and will ecture in many of
the cities of the middle west on the
defects and needs of our monetary
systems. L can not too strongly ap-
prove of this proposal. Mr.. Aldrich,
who is the leader of the senate and
certainly one of the ablest statemen
in financial matter in either house has
been regarded with deep suspicion by
many people especially in the west, if
with his clear cut ideas and simple,
but effective style of speaking, he
makes apparent to the western peo-
pie what I believe to be his earnest
desire to aid the people and to crown
his career by the preparation and pas
sage of a bill which shall give US a
sound and safe monetary and banking
system, it would be a long step to-
ward removing the political obstacles
to proper solution of the question.
Passes Over Tariff.
81 am not going to discuss the mer-
it's and dement's of the new tariff. I
shall often refer to that before my
journey is ended and I must save
something for other audiences. Suf-
flee it to say that the passage of the
bill has removed a disturbing element
in business.
Nor shall 1 dwell at length on the
necessity for amendments to the in
terstate commerce law, to the anti
trust law, and the organization of the
view to omoting greater efficiency
and expedient in the settlement of
controversies arising under them.
During Mr.. Roosevelt's admins
tration we were all struck with the
necessity for reform in business meth
DDS for more scrupulous attention to
the conduct of business in accordance
with law and for the necessity of sim
plifying the law in such a way as to
make it clear to corporate managers
what they can do and what they can
not do.
Era of Bushes Expansion.
I'VE are I believe on the eve of an
other business expansion, an era of
prosperity, indeed it is already here in
many branches of business. The
hum of prosperity and the ecstacy of
great profits are likely to dull inter-
est in these reforms and to lead us
back again to the old abuses unless
we insist upon legislation which shall
clinch those standards by positive
law. Nothing revolutionary, nothing
disturbing to legitimate business is
needed, but we must set the marks
clear in the statues by which the lines
can be drawn and the proper legiti- |
mate paths be laid down upon which |
all business shall proceed, and must
have it understood by means of
prompt prosecution and punishment |
that the law is for all and is to be |
enforced even against the most pow
erful.
''Ten, too. the needs in respect to
the conservation of our national re- |
sources; the amendment to the public
land system; the execution of the pure
food law and all the rest Of the i'm |
portant matters that should demand at
tention make the legislative and exec !
utive labor of the next three years |
heavy enough, if our purposes are car
ried out, to exhaust the energy of the |
most enthusiastic and hopeful.
still the world is making progress-l
our country is making progress.
Rap for Governor johnson.
Occasionally one hears a note like |
that of Governor Johnson denouncing |
the east and calling upon the west to |
organize in a sectional way against the |
east because the east is deriving more
than the west and at the expense of
the west.
1T is difficult for one to treat such |
an appeal seriously throughout this
country, there is free trade of the
freest character and due to this the
prosperity of the west and especially
the agricultural west is even more pro-
than that of the east. More
over, the east is too close to the west
because all the people of the west have |
eastern ancestry and eastern associa-
ton and eastern connection and be- i
cause they have eastern capital with |
which their sections have been largely
built upon and because they are too
T1uch assisted by eastern markets in en-
HANGING the prices which their products
bring, to make such an attempt at Sec
tionalism successful.
1T is true that at times public ques-
lions will be given a local color by what |
is thought to be a local benefit, as dis
from the general and the |
national benefit. But such attitude is
temporary and 1t takes but |
a few years of business experience, it |
tekeS but panic or two, to present the |
most convincing evidence that in this
ness boat and that the prosperity of !,
one section adds to the prosperity of |
the other and that business disaster in
one section is only the forerunner of |
other. I was born and brought up in
the middle west. I have had a New
ancestry and New England as
sociations, fortune sent me out to the
Pacific slope jurisdiction as judge
gave ne somewhat intimate know ledge
Of southern feelings and southern as
pirations.
Protest Against Sectionalism
Il feel, therefore, as If L could speak
with confidence in respect to the whole
nation and as president of the United
States may we'll lift up my voice to pro-
test against any effort by whomso-
10 RI