The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-06-17
pUBLle EXPENDITURE,

me fulfr governing PNpHp 'NF'""
lures DO not differ materially IRON
those governing private expenditure
individuals do not invest money with
out reasonable prospect for fair 70
turn Neither should the state do 50,
Exactly what that fair return may be- In
either case or both the parties 10 the
determine for themselves
The individual invests only 10 secure
por cent Of money profit while the
state does not enter the domain Of spec
ulation for the purpose Of realizing only
money advantage, strictly speaking
The gain she oontemplates Is public se'
ourity public convenience, the integrl'
" of her territory, and the protection
Of her people II is true that in spend
ing money for these purposes she indi'
roctly makes money because when
these ends are fully subsoryed, the
property Of the citilon becomes more
valuable than IL otherwise would be,
and the sum Of tho taxes of the state
IA enhanced in like proportion, II is
this consideration which induces tho
state to loan It's credit To public works,
and mbsdiac them by making grants
of land II also induces her TO rase
troops for the protection of her iron'
tier 10 pay officers engaged IN the civil
administration of the state, etc A
liberal expenditure under certain con
tngcncics is the wisost economy when
on the other baud, the most rigid
economy may become the widest cx.
trayogonco The 'penny-wiso and
pound-foolsh" policy is as much out Of
place in the business of the state, IN IL
IL in that of the private citizen, and
often It's immediate consequences are
very disastrous The lick of state aid
TO railroads for instance, would have
retarded their construction indefinitely
Sec the vast number of towns and cities
which havo sprungup along the lines OF
our principal routes within the last five
years. Five years since the land upon
which the greater part of Dallas ia stu
ated was returned on the tax lists nj
not exceeding one hundred dollars pei
acre in value, Now n single acre will
the buildings thereon, is returned %
many thousands Of dollars. This il tn,
result Of roihoad progress, induced il
the first instance, by the libcrality o
the state, in extending its aid in none,
and land, Here was most wise an,
henecent expenditure Of money an,
land, yielding an Immense per cent. o
profit on the Investment besides bcin
n step in the direction of enlightene,
progress, So it Is in the aid oxtende,
other kinds of public enterprises, W
will have only time and space howevei
to mention one, and that one is nov
engaging no uncomfortable amount o
public interest.
For every dollar of the public none
invested in the cause of public instru,
tion and enlightenment, we take II
two in real profit. 1t has been demon
. strated most clearly that il costs on
hundred per cont, less to govern nm il
telligont community than ii does mn i,
norNnt and, periorce, n vicious one
The heaviest expense encountered b
the state to-day, is that by which sh
provides protection to the thinly settle
counties of the frontier from the deprC
dations of the ignorant and vicious
who are continually warning on tn
people there. Put u public free schoc
house in every ncighborhood of Toxa,
and in ten years people would laugh u
the idea OF u state police, or Gontie
battalion. When the result is so clea
MS it is in this case, and when the publ
has means to invest, and fails to d
it, it takes rank with the slothh
business man who refuses to reac
out for clear honest gains which la
plainly within the reach of his none
and enterprise, This reflection come
home with peculiar force to the ci
liens of Dallas to-day, We offer
in the kindliest spirit and with n
base or selfish purpose in view, and onl
and solely because it is right, in and c
itself, and we believe will be real none
in the pocket of every property.holde
and citizen of the place.