The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-13

! til person "tnploy"d us ne would have obtained
! IN Other rmployments. As n general rule this
| would be- Just to him and just to the public. |
| say as general rule. because there may
| into n public Office has special qualifications
| which there WIS no room to exercise
| in his previous employment can imagine
! such a case. however lntrCuucntlv II may occur.
| person may possibly hive such u peculiar
! aptitude Tor u special work, That his services
! may hr uvHunhr. while. ut the same time uo
may hc united Tor another employment nnd.
/ - course. unable Oh;ain oih"r compensate on.
| But, ~ II general rule. think that lh" one
/ nave given Is tue true one. Punir Officers are
/ hut agents and trustees of the public. ana have
| no right moral or legal, TO give more for public
service Than they would nave given Tor the Ike
| service for themselves. And they who enter pub
| he employments must know that when they re-
| ceive more than IN equivalent for their ser
! vices. they become participants In public rob
| berry. The temptations to get into the service
| are large enough. without adding to them the
| inducoment OF better pay than can be got else
| whore.
The Government should take from the people
| only what l. necessary TO its support. Then
| giving person employed more than he could
| Eet in other enlpoyments produces an unjust
| competition whit these cmpuymcnts. and giving
more than ran be obtained elsewhere crrntes A
| pressure upon those who have the Offices to mi
| to force into them more persons than are neces-
There is a constant struggle to make the Gov
| eminent do something which an individual
would not do for himself in like circumstances
! rs, Tor example. to make IL pay more for the
same work. or the same price for less work.
grrnt deal Is said about the eght-huur rule
| II would indeed be- we'll IL men could support
| themselves on eight hours work wish every
man could do IT, | wish was not obliged 10
| work more than that number Of hours myself
! In society brought ny to the ideal standard.
believe that less than III would b. sum lent for
| all necessary labor. But we are not living in
| such society. Ours Is one Of diversified en-
| ploymenls. differing in their productions. in
| which each person is free To engage, MS he
| pieases. II Is inevitable that some should gain
| more than others. and hence inequality b.gins
the moment all begin To work. Every man COM
| p"t"s with some other man; every aborcr with
| another inhorer In this competition time is an
element rs well as strength and skill and VIII II
| the latttr are equal. time wins. He who rises
earlier than his competitor and works more
| hours within the limits OF hcalthful endurance
| will carry of the prize This must b. the result
| in every community where iabor il free. A law
| which forbids Il laborer to work more than
| eight hours day is an infringement upon his
| freedom: nnd SO u law which commands the
| employer To pay the price of ten hours work
| Tor eight is an infringement upon his freedom
| also. The consequence is that men IN their
| pr'vat" transactions must be left To- regulate for
| themselves the time rs well rs the price uf SER
vice The Government stands and must stand.
IN TINS respect, on me same footing as an indi .
| Vidual: otherwise II violates the fundamental
| rule by paving its servants more than they
| could get IN other empoymrnts.
| Ii IS assumed that workiugmen want such
| discrimination against the Government and
| politicians therefore think that they will com
! mend themselves TO the pe6us by promoting IT,
| But II the wOrkingmen would reflect that every
| dollar which the Government puys'more than
| an Individual would pay II SO much unnpces-
sary expense the burden OF which falls on
workingnlen not less than others they would
N
| elimination. Every public expense il borne az
| last 10y the consumer. so that the rkinEmau
| who demands the price Of ten hours for eight
| hours work would. in fact. make th" Govern
| mrnt nay one-fith more for his labor than an
| individual would pay and this NTH must fall on
| the shoulders OF his fellow workingmen in pro-
| lortion TO their numbers. The man who lives
| in the poorest tenement house and il barely
| ahl' to pay the rent and feed and clothe his
| children. pays. in fact. u share OF every excess
| sive salary and Of all other unnecessary ex-
| penscs OF government.
Niv tpuehfpn This IN IA
| that II is Intimately connected with the larger
| question We are discussing, and involves the
| true theory OF government Every dollar paid
hy III" Government OF city. state, or nation
! comes out OF our pockets. directly or indirectly
| No man can escape the payment who hires a
house or room or wears coat or eats meal.
Ii is not the landlord. 1t is not the rich man. who
| PAYS the taxes in the long run. but he who eats.
| drinks wears clothes. or finds shelter AL the
| citizens. then. rich and poor al kr. have an in
| ierrst ia reducing the public burdens 90 the
| lowest practicable limit IL l. iorErttulurss of
| these truths which has led 10 So much wH~trful
| expenditure. For the sake Of catching soldiers
| votes the last Congress voted away millions
| and some say "A hundred millions 10 pny what
| II did not owe; but IL forgot that every dollar
pad was levied IN part upon the poorest man
| IN the land. No wonder that munic palltles anu
administrative officers are spcndtlrins after
the examples s.! before them. rhcy naturally
! say or think; why should we not DO ~ oGr
hrtirrs do; whore Is the use OF our saving 10y
| cutting down salaries when Congress gives
away. IN III Of political droaurh, more IN a
! uon;' II there were ever an agrarian law 81
Rome more profigate in expenditure. more
| lavish ~ largessrs, or more democrats ling IN
elects / do not know where It's history Is
| written.
In political science there ara two schools. one
which teaches that tho State should Do the least
| puss iblr. and the Other that IL should do the
| most. This club no doubt belong, To the former
and with reason as tnink. The province of the
STATE 10 10 protect rights or, n IL has b'rn sOmo-
| times rXpr" ssrd. 10 keep the peace. We holt.
rs scll-eNld"ut truths, thHt men have inallruahis
! rights TO lie. liberty. and the pursuit II hap
rin"ss. and that 10 secure these rights gov
rrnments are instituted among mem" To
spend money. 10 extract it from the people that
IL may b" spent for other objects j. ~ contrary
To the principles We profess rs It is ruinous IN
II Is not the business Of government to take
care u the peoplr. The people must and VIII
| nature which Is the law Of God. Suppose the
government were to undertake to furnish this
city with provisions: 10 procure from land and
sea, and distribute the meats. fish aud vcge-
tables what sort Of "A purveyor would il make
The Provisioning of an army Is one ot the hard
81 tasks OF military administration. What
snne man would undertake 10 furnish this city
with lis food Tor month ; And Yet tnn natural
laws which govern our instincts and appettes
month 10y month and year by year.
II IS not my purpose 10 20 lurtnrr into details
OF salaries or wages. limit myself TO the ruirs,
according 70 which these details should be- ar
ranged. whether the price paid 10 this person
OF To that Is -Acesslve will not undertake fur
thrr 70 inquire, II may he Instructive how
eyer, To 'nmlar~ the cost oi the police OF Lon
don and PARIS with that OF New YORK.
The phy OF London policeman Is about
tweutY-lOur ~hilllngs week. and the police of
Paris. consisting 81 lurcr of 7.1JG agents in
GLIDING 500 common policemen costs u los %
$50 francs, about S2i33. 40. exclusive oi equip
ments ana AN Indemnity Of lSj francs to rtsh
policeman Tor lodging. Whether these figures
furnish any guide here ! viii not undrruhr To
say. II IL enough 10 say that every rule that
hHve sought to prove il violated here.
We do not employ the best men: we employ
moro men than are necessary 10 do the work
| required; we employ many of them for uncer-
| tam terms OF service. and at unliX"d rates Of
! compensation. We have system of fees for the
| most coveted places and We give n higher COM
| prnsntion in grcat many Instances than the
! persons compensated could obtain in other EN-
| ployments. And yet reform is not difficult II
the Will be not lacking or rather should say.
! II W. could have the concerted will of few dis
Interested persons, the reform might be- secured.
1t certainly II for the interest Of the whole com
muhlty that II should be brought about and |
am conhdent that u majority may be made to
| thluk 50. When th"r" is once an agreement in
! % mon upon that point. there Will not be- much
| difficulty IN finding HWhytO convert the opinion
INTO acton; tor we know that where there IL a
| Will there is a way.
VIII venture tO indicate one Of the ways Fix
the llmit %: expenditure in every department
| or subdivision 81 "A department and tell the OH
| GERS IN charge TINT, II they do not perform the
srrNice-and by performing | mean well per
! fnrmlng-they must give way 10 others. For
example would set apart a sum sufficient, in
! the Judgment of the best EXPERTS for cleaning