The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1874-06-20
TENDENCY TOWARDS GENERALIZATION

truthful editorial from the Sacramento Record.
A few years ago its publication would have
been rank treascd; but times and opinions
have changed Although there is undoubtedly
more or less corruption more Or less oppresi
sion and tyranny under oil forms kof govern
ment, it s as true that there was less Of all ID
our country when the States we're selfgovern.
ing than there has been since they surrendered
the management of their domestic affairs to
the Federal power; and that popular abuses In
crease in proportion as the authority and inhu-
ence of the States decrease: <@a9e ,tei is1m
1t is interesting to observe how steadily the
pretended patriotism of demagogues is directed
against the popularity of the form of govern.
ment under which we live, and how the efforts
Of the people to benefit themselves, by sections.
at the expense Of their neighbors, or to secure
themselves relief from real or imagined evils,
tend always toward the scentralization. Of goy-
ernmental powers, and the correspondent weak
ening. first of the State or States, and second.
Of the people as free agents. If we consider
the cheap transportation controversy which has
been proceeding in Congress and out of Congress
for several months, we find that at bottom it
resolves into demand that Government shall
do that wbichprivate enterprise cannot do; that
it shall construct great waterways, or freight
railroads, or both; that it shall become in some
way the arbiter and regulator of the enormous
and complicated interests involved in the trans
portaton question. Nor is this the sole instance,
Of the same tendency to enlarge the scope of
governmental influence and control Whatever
class suffers, or thinks it suffers, appeals now
adays to Congress That body is called upon to
determine the hours of labor as well as the
traffic of railroads, and when demagogism has
parayzed industry and thrown hundreds of
thousands out Of productive employment, it is
gravely proposed that Government ought to step
in and provide work by authorizing vast public
improvements. So, too, the Government is re-
quired to build levees for Louisiana and other
States Of the South; to undertake the entire
telegraphic service of the country; and to sup
ply the Western farmer with machine made
money, to take the place of that which the tariff
has robbed him of, and to compensate him for
the hardships he has had to endure because OF
his own folly in growing cereals too far from
market. There has indeed seldom been a time
when the tendency towards Capitalization was
SO general. even though brought about by radi-
cally diverse causes. But it would be well for
those who are willing to surrender their Liberties
for the purpose Of being avenged on corpora
tions or others, to recall the old fable Of the
horse, the wolf and the man. The horse had
never fallen under the yoke until in fatal hour
he sought the alliance Of the man against their
mutual enemy, the wolf. In order that his new
ally might pursue the common foe to advantage,
the horse permitted him to mount his back and
put bride over his head. The wolf was slain,
but the poor horse found that he had surrea
dered his freedom forever. Just so it is with
49, 11;n0 1oem for tho
general Government, in order that they may
subdue their adversaries and improve their own
condition. How long would it be before rOta.
ton in Office ceased. after the Federal Govern
ment had assumed control Of the railroads, the
telegraphs, the waterways; holding at the same
time absolute power over the national finances,
and exercising dictatorship over commerce
through its Custom-house organization 3" t"
There are those who seriously believe that
the reform of abuses is to be secured in this
way. They refer to such cases Us the Credit
Mobiler, and instance them as reasons why
Government ought to take charge Of great in-
ternal improvements in behalf Of the nation,
It does not occur to these good people that the
Government is even more liable to corruption
and malversation than private individuals; and
that causes like that of the Sanborn cantract
and the District of Columbia frauds demon
power OF the General Government and the pow
er Of railroads and other combinations of cap.
it'll, is, that whereas the latter are always
amenable to the Courts, and capable Of restric-
ton within reasonable bounds by legislative en-
actment, the former is responsible to no one.
but from the completeness and absolutism OF it's
authority it is perpetualy tempted to extendlts
sphere. All history shows that when contede..
sated States surrender their liberties to central
powers, for any purpose, they are incapacitated
for regaining those liberties, and sooner or la
ter fall under the dominion of that power whose
assistance only they intended to obtain, Thus
Thebes converted the League Of BHotia into
practical despotism thus the famous Achian
League lost its independence, by collecting the
aid of Philip of Macedon, in it's war againstthe
Etolians; and thus Thebes and Macedonia,
Sparta and Athens, the cities of Peloponnesus
and the cities beyond the COrinthian Gulf, fell
in their turn under the sway of Rome. j aae
Nor does modern philosophy run counter to
the lessons which the old world offers in this
regard. The study Of sociology no less than
the study Of history points to the danger and
the impolcy Of Capitalization. There is butone
State in the modern world where such policy
is not only necessary but wise, and that State
lie Russia. The Czar rules with an absolutism
unknown in any other region. His worlds net
only the law but the gospel Of his subjects, and
neither reason nor philosophy are permitted 20
discuss. much more to question, the motives q
his infallible DEGREES. But the Russian people
are not like any other people. They believe 70
their Gear as q system, not merely as . sover-
eiqn, and they could not be induced 70 recon
alder their conclusions On this head. Here. the