The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-08-21
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PXTERNAL GOVERNMENT.

A.PrOteSt Against National JObbory.
[Rlun tho Baltimore AmeTieanl
With the people who think that the
National Government should play wet!
nurse and foster.mother 10 o vast number
Of enterprises which have always. been
conducted by private Individual or cor.
porations, the establishment Of q National
University at Washington 10 DO sup
ported BY q general tax and under Ma
tional authority, has been q fAVorite idea.
The scheme Is not new one, but It Is re.
yived occasionally, just as the, utopian
projects for national railroads, national
canals, national ahipyards, national toun'
dries and other Impact icable fndertak.
iugs aro II It were'Gt all desirable that
The machinery of;GoVernment should BIO
applied TO satisfying the social and do
meSlic needs otthe people, no better use
could be made Oil than in disseminating
education, but the whole principle Is a
wrong one, and President Eliot Of Har.
ward University, exhibited Its lallacy In
his recent report to the Educational AS.
ISOLATION at Elmtra. He showed the
wide difference between Government
like ours, composed merely Of public
agents, hired to perlOrm certain duties,
and one founded on the theory OF king.
doms and empires, which Is patcfnal In
It's nature and assumes to control all the
affairs Of its subjects.i The advocates oil
the opposite theory plausibly argue that
the Government IS the guardian 81 the
public civilization and morals, and should
be the embodiment Of the national char
acter and intelligence, and that, as It is
responsible for the welfare, Of It's constit'
uencies, 1t is properly charged with
the diffusion of knowledge and tho
advancement Of science. This, In fact is |
making Government superior to'tbepco-
pie, which President Eliot contends 1t
should not be. He holds that q tree GOV.
eminent cannot exercise this paternal re-
lation 10 the public because it p not the
guardian Of the nations morals; Is not res
ponsible Tor the national character, and Is
itself merely ono Of the products OF that
character. Tho doctrine Of tho interior
ence Of the State In all popular affairs,
even to becoming the guardian and over
seer Of education, is natural enough when
the Government is supposed 10 be by di.
vino authority, but 1t Is utterly foreign 10
the scope Of Republican Government,
which is entrusted only with delegated
power, and is chosen simply to perform
particular and specified functions. Pres
Ident Eliot points out the logical fact, that
II tho Government should direct our Sc
Cular education, because 1t Is the pastor Of
national morals, 1t must be still more In
Cumbent upon It to take charge Of our re-
lIgious education. We pride ourselves
upon our complete separation OF Church
and State, but the principal ,of. The union
Of the two Is but an extension OF that
which Is advanced as an argument tor Q
National University. Except In the Unit
ed States and Switzerland, 1t Is the doc
trino Of all Christian nations that religion
Is the supreme human interest, govern
ment the supreme human organization,
and that therefore government should sus.
tain religion, No considerable number Of
intelligent men would ask for national
Church, but this educational scheme isnot
much less repugnant 10 the proper theory
pf republican government.
Although President Eliors document Is
confined 70 this ono theme, yet attentive
readers Of II cannot fall 10 perceive that
It's arguments are equally applicable
as agSinst the granting Of subsidies oil
every description. These schemes of gov.
ornamental patronage and special privilege
with which Congress is overwhelmed at
each session arc oil totally wrong. We
have the richest country In the world,
and we arc constantly growing IN wealth,
md vet it Is assumed that the people can
not afford to pay for what aCcommoda:
tions and conVeniences they want, and
the national treasury must be dipped into
Tor their benefit In oil these tAlngs the
law of supply and demand q tho true
regulator. When any enterprise becomes
a public necessity, the money will DO
readily forthcoming from private purseS
for It's Establishment and support. Tho
mendiCant Jobs which are multiplying so
fast are almost without exception mere
speculations and organized grabs, for
which the country pays heavily, and the
profits Of which go into the pockets Of
individuals. 1t is actually furnishing prt'
vate parties with public capital on which
TO conduct their business. Besides this,
these schemes arc the great sources Of
fraud and corruption Of Washington.
The profits Of them are enormous, and
their protectors can afford to tempt the
virtue of congressman with the promise
OF shares. They have tainted our nation.
aIlCgislstion with Vileness, and diverted
the public money from It's legitimate uses.
The back pay steal was Just the proceed
ing to result from the debauChing Of Con-
Eress by It's familiarity with conspiractes
against the treasury. The system Is es-
sentially bad, totally at war with repu6li.
can ideas, and the people must insist that
It Ohall be suddenly stopped, no matter
whether It Is brought 10 a halt at 9 ma
lional uniVeruitY or at q national butter
factory.