The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-02-21
Municipal Government.
From 4 psper in the GsIaxy !

its exclusive control and management,
provided he does not invade ths- etiual
nights OF others. The same remark alb
plies tn property which he may acquire
by exchanging the proceeds OF his own
industry for other things. or by any
methods which are recognized IS lawful
and proper. The enjoymen,s of these
rgnts Is subject t. the payment If :
tax to the Sta:e. in return for its pro
lection and guarantee. The State, in
the larger sense. is the supreme civil
power; and when speaking in general
sense of 1.-The government" we all
mean the State--a term which. with
Americans. includes the federal govern.
ment also-and not city, nor rail-
road. nor bank all corporations crea-
ted by the State and provided with
governments variously adapted to
their supposed necessities. The only
purpose the State can have in creating
corporation and vesting it with GER
tain powers of government is to pro-
mote the interest and welfare OF all its
members. without favor or partiality.
The State has no moral right. and it
dare not avow the intention. to create
a corporation Of any kind. and so ar
range its government" that one class.
however large, can with impunity prey
upon and defraud another class. how
ever few may be its numbers Hence
the State has provided in respect TO all
the corporations it creates, with the SOL
itary exception of municipal corpora
tons. that the owners Of the property
embraced in the several charters, in
virtue Of such ownership simply, shall
exert power in the election of the
managers. directors. or trustees. pro-
portionate to their respective interests;
and that this right" may be exercised
in person or by proxy. This system of
government has been universally ac-
quiesced in by those whose interests are
affected by it. II is believed that not
o single person in the many thousands
Of small stockholders has ever proposed
that every stockholder should be re-
stricted TO one vote only. without refer
ence to the amount Of his interest in the
corporation; nor has there ever been
within my knowledge complaint ut
tered by a small stakeholder that the
present system is unjust towards him
and his class of proprietors. or preju-
dicial to his interests
1t will scarcely be disputed by any
intelligent man who has attentively
considered this question that munici.
pality is essentially q moneyed corpora
tion. rather than political community
or dininutive State That
granted, it logically follows that city
government OF other corporations in
stead of that of the State. The State
Legislature might properly require each
municipality to make suitable provision
to provide for good English common
school education for all children of GER
tain age, by general taxation. All other
matters Of municipal concern that now
occur to me might with safety. proprie-
ty and economy be RENTED to the re-
spectiye municipalities, under a few
general provisions Of law enabling the
people, rather than directing them how,
to manage their local affairs.
To sutherize a majority Of persons to
spend the money of the minority COR Of
the whole people, for any purpose in
their own discretion. and to any extent.
is virtually to annul the right to private
property, TO vest the control Of every
mans earnings or sccumulations in the
majority instead Of him elf. to weaken
the incentives TO patient industry and
frugality. and to whet the appetite to
sudden wealth by means Of combina
tions or rings to plunder society
under all sorts of pretences. New York
city has presented notable illustration
of the possibilities. nay. of the natural
Tendencies Of the present system. 1t
would be no more unreasonable and un-
Just TO give the ma ajority Of stockholders
in a railroad or bank the control of its
business and its expenditures and oblige
the holders Of its stock to submit to the
squandering of their property by men
who grow wealthy by plundering them
under tina protection Of law. than it is
to place all the property Of citizens in
the aggregate under the control of a
majority of their number.
Many very sound thinkers and
good men of this country will
not admit any such right as the
CON pulsory support of the poor and the
education Of oil children at public ex-
pense necessarily imply; and that en-
inen. English philosopher. Herber,
Sp,;.eer. a thorough republican in prin-
ciple. cont bats this assumed right with
a visor of logic and felicity OF Illus
iration which is extremely difficult TO
resist. alleging that its assertions Is on
the whole more injurious than beneii
cisl TO the very classes in whose behalf
il is asserted. let it he however con-
| eeded that the state of right makes it
imperative on the owners of municipal
property 10 provide for the education
Of the children and the support Of the
poor OF their municipality Al their own
expense. But here concession mus; end
| for the state has not a shadow of right
TO require. nor the non-'aApayers TO de
mand that the whole property
of the corporation Of al
who own real and personal estate
shall he subjected "a the control O.
those who ova nc property whatever
Common schools AMI support os the
poor being provided for voluntarily o!
| hy Command of the state. there remains
no ether ehject Of municipal seton 'hs
| DISPOSAL If which does not Of right ap
pertain 10 property owners CT the ma
| nieipalitv. in virtue of such ownership
The right here asserted Is nothing else
| than the rich, II single owner al
property, EXTENDED ana applied to q
na,ntsr of property owners associated