The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-12-13
Kansas Governor Removes CUT
icle From the Corporations
And bangles It Before Chicago
Audience.
HE ROASTS THE COURTS
For Not Sending Members of
Trusts to Prison.
No Reasonable Basis for Freight
Rate Advance, He Says.

Chicago, Dec 13.-Governor-elect
Woodrow Wilson of New Jersey and
Gov. w. r. Stubbs of Kansas were the
principal speakers at the annual BAN
quet of the Illinois Manufacturers as
sociation last night.
Mr.. Wilson said business had been
too much exploited in this country's re-
cent period of extraordinary expan-
sion, with too little regard for the
permanent interests Of society.
Governor Stubbs took up the subject
of railroad rates and the relation of
rates to the welfare of the people at
large. He declared that "the ad-
vanced freight rates demanded by the
railroads were agreed to by the COM
bined railroads and are, therefore,
clearly in violation of the Sherman
antitrust law" and were unjustifiable.
The speaker condemned the judge
who fines corporations fo- violations
of law and discharges the officers
who get the money and are the real
criminals in the case. He asserted
that 1.-The relation of the federal gov
ernment to unlawful commercial instf-
tutions organized for spoils and plum
der is one of the most hurniliating and
disgraceful chapters in American his
tory" Governor Stubbs said, in part:
at is common on occasions of this
| character to sugar coat words and
round out sentences to please the audi
ence. The question of entertainment
| is not a matter of deep concern to me
at this time. 1t is my purpose and
| hope to present in a plain, business
like way facts and conditions that may
be worthy of your careful, conscien-
tious and serious consideration.
| "In the evolution Of government,
| every generation has had its own re-
| sponsibilities to bear, its own work to
do, its own problems to solve, its own,
meet the problems of today like men
who are conscious of their power and
ability to meet every emergency, and
determine every question of govern
ment in a broad, liberal spirit for the
benefit and in the interest of major
ity of our citizens.
Tell the Truth. -s
Let us have the courage to tell the
exact truth about unwholesorne condi-
tions that. have grown. up during the
last score of years. Anything short of
a. plain, accurate statement of facts
concerning the iron grip which mon
opolies, trusts and Illegal combinations
now hold on the commerce of our coun-
try. means either moral prostitution or
personal cOWaroIce.
Every student of public affairs and
every public official charged with the
enforcement of law. knows that the al
lance between professional politicians.
corporation lawyers and the financial
and commercial interests which are
concerned in shaping state and federal
legislation to serve their own special
interests, is menace to the welfare
and life of our republic.
''It is well known, for instance, that
within reasonable limits the packing
house trust exercises arbitrary power
to fix the purchase price of cattle, hogs
and other live stock, and determine
J with accuracy the amount of profit
which they will take as their share of
, the transaction. It is well to know that
! the packing house trust was formed
and is being operated in open and flag
rant violation of moral and statutory
laws"
The speaker said that the methods
employed by the giant masters of
finance who have destroyed the nat
ural laws of supply and demand
throughout the nation are in open and
fragrant violation of the Sherman anti
federal constitution, the common laws
of our land, and all moral obligations
imposed upon respectable citizens.
'In this connection, the transporta-
: portant issue before the American
people today" he said. 1.-THE Wall
street financiers, through a 'communi-
ty of interest scheme have, by indi-
rect methods, formed what practically
amounts to a gigantic railroad trust,
which controls the rates and policies
of the most important railroad systems
in the United States.
ciple of law which prohibits man
from doing indirectly that which the
law forbids him to do directly. If
penalties are provided by law for do
ing an. act these penalties should at
tach when that act is accomplished by
indirect means
Northern Securities Company. =
3 1.-The Northern Securities company,
| which was organized to consolidate
the Great Northern, Northern Pacific
and Burlington railways, all compet-
2 ing lines, was declared Illegal by the
/ federal supreme court. James ]. Hill,
) J. Pierpont Morgan and their asso-
ciates proved themselves to be above
the law and higher than the courts by
. proceeding Immediately to destroy
competition in railroad rates through
out the northw estern states by indi-
$ rectly doing what the supreme court
had decided was unlawful for the
Northern Securities company to do.
ssThe railroad is government
o agency, and is, therefore. supposed to
: be subject to law. 1t is a creature of
s government, but the creature has
a grown to such proportions of wealth
:. and political power that provisions of
: law and DEGREES of courts have proven
/. ineffective in so far as they were in
t tended to exercise direct control over
S the operations of these commercial
i giants.
n ssIn 1898 the dividends paid by the
d railroads of the United States amount
f ed to ninety-seven million dollars. In
1908 these dividends amounted to three
hundred and eighty-six million dollars
an increase of 400 per cent In ten years
: I'm 1909 the railroads earned ninety
d three million dollars more net revenue
y than they did in 1908. and for the first
d five months of 1910 have earned thirty
-e three million dollars more net revenue