The New York herald., 1878-03-12
postal savings Banks.

|
ing proof that there are nc good argu-
r.ents against this benefcent measure.
When journal of SO much ability, after
taking time for reflection, can find nothing
to say against this project except that it
; sis beyond the province Of the govern
ment." without any specific statement OF
reasons why it transcends the federal au-
! thority. we may fairly conclude that there
| is nothing cogent to be said on that side
of the question. ''The government" says the
/ Ecenin9 Post, ''may with no more propriety
conduct savings bank than bank of
issue and discount, or railroad, an ex-
press, collecting agency, stove factory,
an iron mine. cracker bakery, dry goods
shop, ar inn or restaurant" We submit
that this is sheer assertion, mere begging
| Of the question. Would our contemporary
really have us think that, to its powers Of
discrimination, there is no greater objection
to the government going into the business
Of baking crackers than to the establish
ment OF postal savings banks:
The Evening Post devotes a great part Of
its article to copious defence against an
incidental remark that its opposition to
postal savings banks had ga doctrinare
tnge" We are sorry that cur contempo-
rary takes offence at this expression. for we
never commit an intentional discourtesy, and
least of all toward journal which so habitu-
| ally observes the propretics OF discussion
| us the Erening Post. But candor requires
us to say that We do not accept it's explana-
ton of tho word '.doctyinare" In our con-
ception of its use it is not employed to
designate a man who holds principles, but
a man who stretches principles to cases to
which they do not fairly apply, as Hamilton
once wrote: :-'The misapplication or too
extensive application OF general maxims
or propositions, true in their genuine
sense, is one of the most common
and fruitful sources of false reasoning"
This is one of the many remarks which
show how deeply that great statesman had
reflected on the application Of theory to
practice in governmental affairs. Scores of
parallel passages might be collected from
the writings Of Burke and several from
those of Hamilton himself, who said that
"to reach and not to pass the salutary
medium is the province of sound Judgment
To miss the point will ever be the lot Of
those who, enveloped all their lives in
the mist of theory, are constantly seeking
for an ideal perfection" There is
no set OF theoretical principles which
can dispense statesmen from the exercise of
Judgment discrimination and sound discre-
ton respecting public measures. In our
view doctrinaire is person who fails to
practice the wise discrimination pointed
at in the foregoing extracts from Hamilton.
The Ereaing Post complains that the
HERALD did not "meet this broad PROPOSE
tion-which it may make as broad as it
pleases" namely, the broad proposition
that the establishment of savings banks sis
beyond the province of the government"
Awaiting ourselves Of the Posts consent to
make its proposition rs broad rs we
please, we will extend it to govern
ment in general and make it read
"this business is beyond the province of
government not merely of 'the govern
ment," by which we suppose the Post to
mean the federal government. Our first
remark OH the proposition thus broadened
u.s. that it is inconsistent with the ideas of
enlightened men in all countries, and es-
pecially of that country from which the
Post has imbibed its political philosophy.
In England, most assuredly. the establish
mcnt of postal savings banks is not thought
to be "beyond the province of government"
All the higher statesmen and best thinkers
of Great Britain hold the maxims of our
contemporary, which are ''true in
their genuine sense" but among
them all there is none who objects to the
postal savings banks Will this disciple ex-
plain how it has grown to be so much wiser
than its masters? Gladstone has done
more for free trade and itrisser taire than any
English statesman since Golden, and yet
Gladstone is the author and eulogist of the
postal savings system. II this system is
"beyond the province of government" how
are we to explain the fact that it has been
adopted not only by England, but by the
three great British colonies of Canada,
Australia and New Zealand, and by large
majority of the countries of Continental
Europe? The Office OF our respectable con-
temporary would seem to be little land of
Goshen, which enjoys full light respecting
'thc province of government" while the
whole civilized world is enveloped in Egyp-
tian darkness.
Returning to the 'broad proposition" Of
our contemporary and waving its permis-
sion to extend it at pleasure, we are unable
to perceive why this. business is '.bcyond
the province of the government" by its
own description OF itself tho constitution
was ordained (among other objects) "to pro-
mote the general welfare" That postal saw
ings banks would promote the general well
fare seems incontcstablc in view Of their ac-
knowlcdged advantages in the many coun-