The Portland daily press., 1871-02-10
PORTLAND


sac Rhode island Lords and Conimonahy
The Kennebec Journal has made the sub
iect of municipal aid to manufacturing enter
prises and speciality both in IFS editorials and
it correspondence since the beginning of the
present session of the Legislature. Though II
has presented some aspects OF the case Will
great lullness it seems to us that it has enemy
devoted itself to questions concerning "n'."
there is no controversy. There Is no 'o'D'
expressed by the opponents OF subsidies "
manufacturers that the aggregate wealth. ana
poDulation OF a State are surely increased by
t,,a buildjpg up of manufacturing enterprises.
Rpt i, is TO establish precisely this point that
the Jouynet has Published scores of para
graphs like the following in the issue OF We'd
nesday morning:
The Providence journal says it only re-
quires glance al the statute book of Rhode
Island 10 show how i has been necess ary to
iegislate in order to build up her great manu-
featuring industry
We select the above as afforLing The best
example both OF the advantages that are
claimed as resulting from fostering manufac-
lures by legislation especially adapted to that
porpose, and OF some OF the incidental
disadvantages which, although it is not accu-
rate TO say that they are occasoned by the
system it. is proposed to adopt here, are not
removed by that system, but, ION the other
hand, find favorable atmosphere for their
development where it prevails.
Partly b. reason OF the laws of Rhode Is
land enacted to encourage manufactures the
State has become immensely more wealthy
and populous than Maine in proportion to its
size. But it must be stated as an uncomfort-
able corollary to this pleasing statement that
the aoealh is monopolized by the Browns
Iveses, Spragues and other great patrician
families. We use the word 'patrician" ad
visedly, for although tie "State'' Of Rhode Is.
land is as happy in its riches and populous
ness rs a mere abstract notion, bloodless
heartless, soulfess can be, the people are UNI
happy in the want of democratic form of
government. Rhode Island is not so much
republic as al. obligarcy. The Browns and
Spragues monopolize not only the wealth but
the political power, and they hold the little
State for the benefit of themselves, their heirs
and assign as English peers used 10 hold
their rocket boroughs before the reform bills
were passed. There is not vgor enough in
the rudimentary democratic institutions OF
the Bfown-Sprague principaity to eliminate
from theState constitution that provision which
DISTINGUISHES thousands of citizens who have
not the property qualification Ia voter must
own real estate) that is there prescribed.
The people of that exceptionally happy
State are in no especqco"respondingly blest.
The unresisted political control of hereditary
rulers has demoralized even those who can
vote under the illiberal State constitution
The report that William Sprague bought his
first election as Governor, with great price
has for many years been unhesitatinely be.
lieyed. The election of Benjamin T. Esmes
the friend, and some say the tool, OF Senator
Sprague, to succeed Thomas A. Jenckes, the
author of the civil service reform bill, was
national misfortune due to the power of the
successful candidates patron to buy votes by
the hundred, "as one buys hob nails" The
average condition of the people of the State
that is so exutanty contrasted with our own
by the friends Of the new protective scheme is
below that OF our own "yeomanry,' and if we
take less than a score Of the Rhode Island
nobility out of the account our people have
much the advantage in their average wealth.
Our schools are better, and our people ale
better educated. The advocates of the scheme
to subsidize millionaires say that the encour.
agement of manufactures in the way they
propose is sure way to promote the cause
of education and the diffusion of intelligence
among the people. This does not necessarily
follow, as is shown in the case of Rhode Is
land. Blu. more conclusive proofs are not
wanting. In England and Belgium where
manufacturing has reached the maximum, the
common people are ignorant and degraded
while in the three Scandinavian countries
where manufacturing remains at the mini
mum, education is attha maximum and in
tellisence is more generally difused than il
any other part of the world.
We do not oppose manufactures on these OF
any other grounds. We merely require thai
they shall be natural, healthy growth, and
we mention these facts to show that the an
tique idea of a Terrestrial Paradise, Plato's
Republic, Atlantis or Utopia will not certain.
ly be realized as soon as all our water-powers
are improved. We cite them to show that il
is not wise to introduce new and anti-depa-
ocratlc principle into our government, violate
the constitution and ignore the rights OF mi
norlties for the sake Of accomplishing some
tnlns concerning the utility of which there
are grave doubts. 1t would be tar better to
make 1t obligatory upon towns to raise more
money for nur common schools, and so effect
something that is not of doubtful constitu-
tionalitY. Justice OF exnediencu