"pr"- "
Thc'Coramoner.
SEPTEMBER i, 1003.
A TERRIBLE ARRAIGNMENT
The Chicago
cause filing
Chronicle Condemns Governor La Follette Bt
Asked to Sneak o.the Subtect of "doe
QoverameMt
," he Condemned Cerebri tie Dominatlba.
Robert M. La Follette, the republican gov
ernor of Wisconsin, is being severely criticised
these days by corporation newspapers. We are
told that Governor. La Follette is not a good re
publican and all this criticism' comeB because the
republican governor of Wisconsin has dared, re
peatedly and in a very forcible way, to direct at
tention to the growing evil of corporation, domi
nation. The Chicago Chronicle, owned by John R.
Walsh, the well-known Chicago .financier, prints
. under date of Kenosha, Wis., August 20,. a very
instructive report concerning a speech delivered
on that occasion by the Wisconsin governor.
In the beginning this Chronicle correspondent
says: "Governor Robert M. La Follette surprised
and angered thousands of citizens of this county
today by launching a political speech at tho an
nual meeting of the Old Settlers' association of
tho county." This correspondent adds: .
"It had been known that he would speak
on 'Good Government,' but the supposition was
that he would confine himrolf to generally ac
cepted principles. Instead of this, ho sprung
his own theories, which were regarded by the
vast majority as approaching socialism; at
tacked corporations as bribers and legislatures
as their victims; detailed his own efforts to
effect reforms in Wisconsin and concluded
with an exordium construed as an appeal to
the voters to further his own political ambi
tion to become governor again and ultimately
United States senator."
Now, Inasmuch as It was known that Gov
ernor La Follette would speak on' the subject of
"Good Government," it is difficult to understand
s how any one could take offense because the gov
ernor made a political speech. It is not charged
that the governor made a partisan republican ad
dress. His offense seems to be that in speaking
' on the subject of "Good Government," he did not
confine himself to 'generally accepted principles."
Perhaps by this is meant principles acceptable to
men like Mr. John R. Walsh, proprietor of tho
Chicago Chronicle. But instead f speaking upon
principles that are acceptable to the John R.
Walshes, the governor seems to have "sprung his
own theories which were regarded by the vast
majority- as approaching socialism."
It TVill not do to accept the Chronicle's general
utatement that Governor La Follette's theories ap
roached socialism, although we may be quite
willing to accept, for the purpose of passing judg
ment, the report made by the Chronicle corre
spondent himself concerning the things which
Governor La Follette actually did say on this
occasion.
The following extracts from Governor La Fol
lette's speech are taken from the Chronicle's re
port: "We are becoming the servants of corpora
tions. We have lost our personal responsibility
to good government which came to this
younger generation as a blessed heritage from
their forebears. Once it was the will of the
people that formed the basic principle of gov
ernment; it was not the will of a corporation.
Have we such government today, either in
tho nation or in the state? No despot ever
lorded over a race of serfs more imperiously
than these corporations lord it over this pres
ent generation.
"Political liberty has given place to In
dustrial slavery. Government by corporations
is as destructive to political liberty as an
early frost is to the flowers of summer. Di
vest the people of their representatlva rights
and you subvert the basic principles of gov
ernment. "When artificial laws, passed by corrupting
influence, restrict the transportation of prod
ucts of labor the people have a rlgh to de
mand an investigation into the conduct of
their representatives in the legislature.
"One of the causes of the revolution was
the imposing of taxes on us without repre
sentation. Today corporations buy from our
legislatures immunity from taxation and what
they fall to pay must bo contributed by tho
private taxpayer. Tho men chosen to repre
sent the people become representatives o tho
corporations. Tho people are unrepresented,
although they boar tho brunt of taxation.
" "So, I maintain, that taxation without rep
resentation is as prevalent in 1903 as it was
in 1777 and needs vigorous action to combat It
successfully.
Combinations and consolidations of mon
eyed Interests demand that legislatures should
be watchful of tho liberty of tho people, but
are they? Are they so watchful in Wiscon
sin; are they so watchful in congress?
"I donot. decry wealth, national or Indi
vidual. I rejoice In tho prosperity of our
state and nation, but I do decry the combina
tion of wealth that grows at tho expense of
the people, and I lament tho influenco of
wealth when used to subvert the rights of tho
people through the bribery of their represeh-
tatlves."
Here the Chronicle correspondent says that
"Governor La Follette quoted from tho utterances
of James A. Garfield, Judge Davis and Matt H.
Carpenter to show tho danger that threatens tho
public from a corporation using Its power to In
fluence legislation. Ho cited tho caso of the In-
terstate commerce law, by which a commission of
flve members, appointed by tho president, was to
have the power to regulate railway charges In
commodities passing from ono state to another."
Proceeding, according to tho Chronicle's re
port, Governor La Follette said: '
"In framing this law I took part, for I was
then In congress. It was so greatly amended,
however, that In the decision of tho supremo
court it was rendered inoperative because tho
commissioners had not tho power to enforce
their regulations. It could merely recommend,
and in spite of memorials to congress from in
fluential manufacturing Industries; In spite of
the recommendation of 1 resident Roosevelt,
congress has oven In this year 1903 dono
nothing to empower that commission to en
force its demands on the railway companies.
"Instead of occupying tin position of a
public servant, tho railroads throughout tho
country have become a public master. And
in their power I see the gravest menace. In
tho subservience of state legislatures I behold
tho deepest degradation to which humanity
can sink.
"As for official and executive corruption,
there is little of that, and it is always dis
closed sooner or later. Tho danger point is
in tho lawmaking department, which ever
seems ready to listen to the allurements of cor
porate power.
"Members of legislatures are approached
sometimes by direct bribery, sometimes by a
sldedoor, sometimes by promises of favor and
occasionally by intimidations. They are ap
proached, however, and they yield."
The Chronicle correspondent says that tho
governor arraigned tho railway lobby In Uie capi
tal of his own state for subverting tho rights of
the people and for blocking legislation that would
have conserved the rights of tho public in opposi
tion to those of centralized corporate power. Al
though charging the governor with having made
a partisan speech, the Chronicle correspondent
says: "He scored 'his own party with having
broken pledges made to the people in two con
secutive platforms, the chief plank of vhich was
a promise of further legislation for tho equaliza
tion of taxes." According tc this Chronicle cor
respondent, Governor La Follette said:
"If tho railway companies paid their taxes
In proportion to those paid by individuals the
state would have ?l,000,0v- more in its treas
ury, every year. It is true that such a law has
been passed, but of what avail Is it? Tho
measure meant to hinder the railway compa
nies from advancing their rates to patrons
for meeting any increase in taxation was de
feated In the legislature and so the first law
is in reality inoperative.
"I maintain that legislatures are debauched
and prostitutod by these powerful corpora
tions, with their oxpert lobbyists.
"I am pleading, not for myself, but for
good, clean governmont; not for mysolf? but
for tho party which has pledged Itself to the
pcoplo and stands convicted of gross neglect
of its pledges. For my part, whether I am
in public or in prlvato life, I shall always
strlvo to obtain for my native stato an honest
- governmont.
"I long for tho time when legislatures
shall represent their constituents and not cor
porations. I hopo that tne day will come
when members cannot bo debauched by lob
byists to vote for bills In tho intorcst of cor
porations and to 'tho disadvantage of the
people."
After a thorough roviow of attempted leg
islation during his former administration the
governor discussed his two theories of equali
zation of taxation and direct nomination. He
did not ask anything for himself. Ho said
nothing of his hopes and desires for himself.
Ho maintained that It was the duty, of the
people to sec that every corporation should
be taxed equally with individuals and that
candidates, from governor to coroner, should
be nominated by direct voto and not through
caucuses and delegates to convention.
"Nominate your own men," he said In clos
ing. "You think It a privilege to cast the
ballot on election day, but that right is only
half of your duo. You should choose tho man
for whom you cast tho ballot It is only thus
that good government can be restored and the
citizen exorcise his supremo privilege."
It will be difficult for any ono to read these
statements attributed to tho governor by the
Chronicle correspondent and conclude that ho said
anything approaching socialism or that he de
livered a partisan speech. Every well Informed
man knows the situation to bo practically as Gov
ernor La Follette described It Does it not oc
cur to intelligent men that there was no more
fitting occasion for such things as theso to be
said, true as they are known to bo by Intelligent
men, as in a speech entitled "Good Government?"
Although in tho beginning the Chronicle cor
respondent seeks to make It appear that general
and widespread indignation was expressed because
Goyernor La Follette topk "an unfair advantage
of his audience" and failed to adhere to "general
ly accepted theories," in the concluding para
graph the Chronicle correspondent makes this im
portant admission:
When cae peroration closed the crowd
stamped and cheered for Governor La Follette
and many pressed forward to shake hands
with him. For three hours he had held the at
tention of tho audience. Afterward one old
settler, in speaking of tho governor, remarked:
"I liked his speech because I am not in poli
tics. I am only a plain citizen, but If I had
been a politician tho speech would have been
galling." R. F. Roberts, secretary of tho Old
Settlers' club, declared that it was tho great
est meeting ever held on tho ground of the
association and pointed with prido to the fact
that although the governor spoke for three
hours his audience was as large at the end as
at the beginning of tho speech.
It seems that the governor's speech was galk
ing to tho corporation politicians, but very ao
ceptable to tho plain citizens; and it is interest
Ing to be told by the samo authority that charges
the governor with having advanced socialistic the
ories and Insulting his audience that "although
tho governor spoke for three hours his audience
was as large at the end as at tho beginning of the
speech."
JJJ
A caso was recently decided in India
Territory wherein the judge making th
decision suffered heavy financial loss by his own
judgment of the case. It seemed that the title
to some mining property was disputed, and that
this judge, Raymond by name, had nearly $220 00i
tied up in the property. After thinking over the,
matter for several months. Judge Raymond made
his decision in the case and thereby suffered a losa
of between $20,000 and $30,000.
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