The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-11

government is progressive.
/ THE progressive movement had
assumed the character of crusade
and many radical remedies were sug-
/ gested the carrying out of which
| would only be less destructive than
the threatened fatal source of the dis
ease. There We're many who had long
| attacked our present institutions as
the basis of injustice and inequality,
and their voice became louder and
more distinct and was listened to with
| much greater favor than ever before
| in the history of the country.
| 1.-THE growth of socialism in this
country is a noteworthy incident in
| showing the extreme to which many
| would go in the solution of the prob
| lem which I am discussing.
There were many who were not
| Socialists. but who saw in the pres
| ent structure of our government and
intended by the trainers of our con-
| stitution to secure deliberation and
calm action.
Handsome Is as Handsome Does.''
Having defined what progressive
means means my next proposition is para Ia
some is that handsome does
| An administration which has been
| successfully progressive in deeds is
| entitled to the approval of the people.
| The present Republican administra-
| ton in what it has accomplished in
| legislative and executive action is able
to point to many real steps of prog
ress, both in the way of avoiding I'M
necessary disturbance of business, in
the way of regulating the use of cor
| porate capital and privilege and pre-
venting it's abuse, and in the preser-
walton for the public of what belongs
| to it, as we'll as in ameliorating the
| legal status of certain classes of the
| people and in increasing the functions
| of the government for the benefit of
the whole people.
Governments and Business.
In the first place. let US examine
the question of the relation of the
general government to business.
of course, we can have a general
prosperity, or apparent prosperity in
which every one is employed and all
the mills are running full tilt, but in
which the laws are being violated and
the rights of the individual and of the
people are not being indicated as
against corporate capital and privi-
lege.
however, prosperity in business is
what those responsible for govern
ment ought to bend every effort to
secure and maintain. They should
remove every obstacle in law or exc
cutive order which may interfere with
business and it's prosperity.
Prosperity means good wages. 1t
means happiness in the home of the
working men, the farmer, and the
business man, and, therefore, what we
must have is care in urging political
reforms that in our enthusiasm we do
not enter upon useless agitation, that
only interferes with business and has
no definite public or individual bene-
fit as its result.
Against Disturbing Business.
1--WE cannot be blind to the fact that
our whole bushes system rests upon
the protective tariff system. 1t is
not that all manufacturers here need |
protection, but it is that so many of
them need it; that if it is to be re-
moved then the destruction of those |
business interests of the country and
necessarily the whole body of wage |
earners as we'll.
Hence it is of the utmost impor- |
lance that we should maintain the |
tariff system without it's abuses, and |
that we should do it in such way as
least to disturb business.
''One of the schedules which was
not reduced was the wooden schedule, |
schedule K. This tariff board has
made an investigation showing that
the wool and wooden schedule is too |
high and ought to be reduced, and
stantially without destroying either the
wool growing or the wooden manu-
featuring industry of this country.
similar result will probably pc
found in a report of the same tariff
board, nonpartisan, and searching
only for the truth, in the> cotton
schedule.
One of the great abuses in the
economic history of this country was
the system of determinations by rail-
roads in the furnishing of transporta-
ton to different businesses. By sys-
tenn of rebates the great shippers were
able to drive the smaller shippers out
of business; and this could only be re-
formed by an interstate commerce
law which made it criminal to grant
rebates, and which gave close regula-
tive and supervisory power over the
conduct or railroads to an interstate
commission.
Points to Railroad Rate Law.
ut took time to perfect this. 1t be-
gan with the passage of the original
act. in 1887, which was tinkered with,
m one way or another, until the Elk
ms bill was passed, framing a differ
emit means of attack upon rebates;
'aThis was followed by the rate Dill,
which gave the Interstate commerce
commission the right to fix rates, and
inally. in 1910, in the present admin
stration, the last amendment to the
commerce act was passed,
which has greatly increased the regu-
alive power of the commission and
yreatly bettered the whole system of j
is supervision.
,ave further legislation until this has !
,eap worked on and it's defects, If any, :
re disclosed, Generally it may be !
aid that the railroads are obeylng the s
aw, that rebates are rare instances in
tead of universal as they once were, 7
nd that while the effects of the sys- :
EN- have not been eraGicated, ma ,
hinery for eliminating it is at hand. !
Certainly this legislation which ,
assed by vote of the Repu bl1can !
arty, and by the signature of Re 9
ublican executive, was progressive in
very sense and definition of the word. '
Prosecution of Trusts. f