The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-08-17
LET CITIES OWN Their
UTILITIES SAYS HENEY
Graft Fighter One Of the Fa-
vorites on Chautauqua Cir
cult This Season.

Garrett, Kan, dispatch to Kansas
City Sar: Francis J. Heney is
the topliner on the Kansas Chautauqua
circuit this summer. Mr.. Heney has
something TO say. A large crowd at
the chautauqua here yesterday was
held through more than two hours Of
his discussion of municipal ownership
Of public utilities as q remedy for cor.
rupt politics In municipal affairs, and
after the speaking they remained to
shake hands with the San Francisco
graft prosecutor, unmindful Of the fact
that the big whistle at DeWolfs fur
niture factory had sounded supper
time" far Garrett. And when Garrett
people do not drop everything and
start for home when the factory whistle
blows II is certain that they are inter-
ested.
Five years ago this summer Senator
La Toilette put the Kansas Chautau-
qua circuit into the limelight and made
1t factor in state and national poll
tics. With the message Of progress
sive republicanism and the Senate roll
calls the Wisconsin man sowed the
seed that took Kansas out, broke the
power of the old machine, sent Bristow
to the Senate and elected six progress
sives out of eight congressman last
year.
Then came Bristow with his rubber
speech. The Chautauqua circuit was
used to enlighten Kansas and the rest
of the country about the Aldrich-G ug-
genheim Rubber trust and how the
tariff bill was jockeyed to fix the rub
Der schedule.
The Man With the Message.
Heney is the man with the message
this year. Mr.. Bryan spoke in Garrett
to a large crowd, drawn from curiosity
to see and to hear Bryan. But his lee.
course from Bryan on 1.-THE Prince Of
Peace is entertaining. but nearly
everybody in the United States has
heard It.
Mr.. Heney is advertised on the as
sembly programs for a speech telling
the people how he broke UP the cor
rupt municipal ring of San Francisco.
the people more than is indicated In
the subject of his lecture. He shows
them that the grating In San Fran
cisco was done chiefly by and for the
big public service corporations. Con-
ditions are must the same, Mr.. Heney
shows, In every big city. Corruption
Is intrenched behind the privately
owned public utilities.
Getting at Corruption's Source.
state legislatures. They go into state
legislation to protect the city interests
that sent them. Every bad thing that
seeks to put something over on the
people Of the state seldom fails to get
the organized support of the legislators
sent from the cities by the big corpora
tons. For that reason, Mr.. Heney
points out, the people of. the country
districts should have an interest in do
ing away with the source of corrupt
politics-the privately owned public
service corporations.
Municipal ownership, Mr.. Heney be-
heves. Is the remedy. With the public
service utilities out Of politics better
condition will prevail for both the city
be fxed by the people In the selection
Of representatives in city councils and
state legislatures.
Wherein Lie the Remedies.
Commission government for large
cities Is to be desired, Mr.. Heney de-
clares, because 1t establishes RESPONSE
bility and gives the cities business rule
instead Of political rule. With bust
ness government and the recall, the in
itiatiye and the referendum, there will
be no chance to operate municipal
owned utilities for political purposes.
II am surprised" said Mr.. Heney at
Garnett last night. Eat the response to
these suggestions from my audience in
Kansas. 1t shows that the people OF
this state are tremendously Interested
In progressive IDEAS"
What party do you belong tor"
someone asked the San Francisco man
yesterday.
ut depends on who is on the ticket"
replied Mr.. Heney. These questions
must be solved by men who believe in
them because they are on the side Of
the people, The corporations want
nothing better than the man who al
ways stands for his party, and they
are not particular which party he
stands for.
1.-THE people ought to have as good
political sense as the corporations and
select men who always stand for them
without regard to party"