The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-05-24

to import duties. The tariff has been
the most prolific source of the corrupt
interference of business with politics
that the experience of the country has
afforded. Almost every kind of busi-
ness is affected directly or indirectly
by the tariff laws and it has in recent
years become notorious that the sched-
uleS on the tariff were arranged by
the ways and means committee of the
house of representatives and the
finance committee of the senate with a
very tender regard for particular busi-
ness interests.
Everybody will agree that if the
tariff policy is indeed to be protective
and to seek the objects which it has
always pretended to seek, it is per-
fectly legitimate that it should have
to pay a very careful regard to the
business interests of the country taken
as whole. But that is very differ
ent matter from paying regard to the
individual interests of particular un-
dertakings and of particular groups of
men. The long and short of the whole
experience, as we now see it. is that
our whole tariff legislation has degen-
Grated from a policy of protection into
policy of patronage. The party
which has stood most consistently for
the so-called system of protection has
derived not a little of its power from
the support of the great business in
terests of the country. 1 do not mean
the moral support H1SIGJy. mean
that it has been supplied with i'm
mense sums of money for the conduct
of it's campaigns and the maintenance
of its organization and that, whether
consciously or unconsciously, 1t
has established a partnership with
the manufacturing interests of the
country which has deprived it of it's
liberty of action in all matters touch
ing the tariff. 1t is bound by obliga-
tions, tacit and explicit. to see that
those interests are not damaged which
have been its most stalwart hackers
and supporters.
Country Is Determined.
The country has definitely made up
its mind that it will get at the root
of this matter and of all other matters
like it, and that it will break up this
alliance. There was time when it
looked as If to accomplish this would
involve a very dangerous sort Of strife
between the general mass of voters in
the country and those who had exhibi-
ted splendid talents in building up the
business of America. But, happily, that
threat has disappeared. 1t is one of
the happy circumstances Of our time
that the most intelligent and progress
Sive of our business men have seen
the mistake as well as the immortality
Of the whole bad business. The alli-
ance between business and politics has
been burden to them-an advantage
no doubt upon occasion, but a very
questionable and burdensome advant-
age. 1t has given them great power
but it has also subjected them to a sort
of slavery and sort of SubServfency
to leading politicians. They are anxi-
GUS to be freed from the bondage as
the country is to be rid of the inf1u-
ences and methods which it represents.
Leading business men are now becom-
ing great factors in the emancipation
of the country from a system which
was leading from bad to worse.
Publicity a Cure.
This discovery on their part of what
ought to have been obvious all along
points out the way of reform. for un-
doubtedly publicity comes very near
being the cure-all for political and eco
nomic maladies. But publicity will
continue to be very difficult so long as
our methods of legislation are so OBJ
scure and devious and private. I think
it will become more and more obvious
that the way to purify our politics is
to simplify them, and that the way to
simplify them is to establish RESPONSE
BILE leadership.
The business of the country ought to
be served by thoughtful and progress
sive legislation, but it ought to be
served openly, candidly, advantageous
ly, with a careful regard to letting
everybody be heard and every interest
backed by money as well as the in
terest which is, and this can be accom-
pliShed only by some Simplification OF
our methods which will center the pub
lie trust in small groups of men who
will lead not by reason of legal au-
thority or the right to command, but
by reason of their contact with and
amenability to public opinion.
1t is a refreshing and reassuring
thing to remind ourselves at every turn
of how safe it is to depend upon public
opinion in America when public opin-
ion is we'll informed. There is no revo-
luton in the air except as against
iniquity and secret conferences against
the public interest. The American
mind is well poised and wholesome and
inclined to justice, and the task that
lies ahead of us is at every turn the
task of putting that opinion into the
saddle again so that affairs may go for
ward by common impulse-that great
impulse of righteous law, that eager
impulse for the attainment of better
and better things which we are proud
to regard as characteristic of the coun-
try we love.