The Portland daily press., 1871-01-20
Shall the People be Taxed TO Create nm
AristOCracy.

ArisioCracy.
We do not yield even to our Augusta cor
respondent, who pronounces Walter Wells 81
wonderful man" III his letter of to-day, in ad
miraton Tor that gentleman. The few who
do not form this estimate for him have
not read his lectures and book on pbysica
geography, his report on the water-power OF
Maine, and particularly his able communities.
tions TO the Kennebtc Journal yesterday and
the day before, in favor OF general law tc
permit towns to aid in the establishment anc
maintenance of manufactures. He has fur
nshed the material for two or three first class
regulations besides his own, which might be 8
much wider, but hardly moro enviable one,
If he were less modest man. But our sin
cere respect for him for the work he has done
and for the purity and entire disinterestedness
OF his motives we cannot permit to blind oul
eyes to the real tendency of the enterprise in
which he is now engaged. That he honestly
believes that it is for the interest of the State
and of the people, both in the aggregate and
Individually, we have no doubt.
Our Augusta correspondent says in his let
ter that the lawyers doubt if they can find
constitutional authority for law authorizing
towns to give money or loan their credit to in
dividuals or corporations for the purpose Of
aiding in the establishment of manufactures.
These constitutional objections are very grave
and, if well founded, inYalidate the special
acts already passed allowing towns to make
appropriations for such extraordinary pur
poses. If they are not well founded, a gene
raj law, such as MIR. Wells with the Governors
express approval proposes, is less Objectionable
than a series OF special acts fer effecting the
same purpose. But if Constitutional Con
vention is to be held, as now seems probable.
we hope that it will place in the organic law
an express denial of power in the Legislature
to appropriate or authorize the appropria- ion
of money Tor aiding railroads, building mills
or factories or any other enterprise that is not
definitely for the benefit and for the use oil
all the people.
The idea that this attitude toward the pro-
posed legal authorization of municipal aid to
what is as clearly movement for plutocra-
cy as the establishment of slavery would be,
is "old-fashioned" and "behind the times" is
most mistaken one. On the contrary the ia
vorable consideration of such a scheme is
countenancing that old, old plan of building
fortunes on the wreck of the poor mans hap
piness and peace. 1t is the bad old plan o.
giving to them that have and taking from them
that have not 1t is the wicked old plan of pre-
Stunning that the happiness and prosperity OF
the favored few are the happiness and pros
perity of all the people. 1t is the idea that
underlies the oespotsm and not the democra-
cy. 1t is the exploded idea thata nation COM
prisng few rich families that have dense
population of sem-paupers to produce luxu
ries for them, while the nobility absorb the
possessions Of all the small land holders, is the
happiest one.
we are aware how much this sounds like
proclamation from Democratic rostrum in
the midst OF an exciting political campaien.
but it is not Improbable TO adopt in good faith
the just preiudices which are insincerelv hold
by designing men for the sake of political |
effect. We are sure to be asked if the en-.
enlargement oil manufactures in the way pro
posed will not be beneficial to all the people?
if it is not sure to result in an immense in
crease of population and wealth? That il
will result in an increase Of wealth and popu-
latIon we admit, but that these are identical
with virtue and happiness or are certainly
productive of them, We deny; if they were
then would the people of Great Britain and
Belgium. where manufacturing is most extern |
syely carried on, and where it has led to the |
naturally resulting density of population and
of wealth, be the happiest in
world. But we know that the great mass OF
the population of Great Britain are in state |
of wrelcledness as compared with our OWN;
that thirty thousand men own all the land IN
the Kingdom, and that there are three million
paupers, while in Belgium, if we may trust