The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1883-02-24

tle constant increment OF the func
tions of government and the contin
uous enlargement Of its duties toward
the members Of society. The instances
| of the augmentation of governments
authority constitute some of the mos
interesting phenomena of this century
The postal service and banking, in
many Of its branches, have been taken
as exclusive government monopolies
| In England, the telegraph service, and
in Germany the railroad system have
been absorbed in the same way. The
policy of internal improvement has
led to 2 notable extension of govern
mental function and has established q
new and intricate system Of relations
between the state and its citizens.
The principle of protection, adopted
into the fiscal system Of every civilized
country, without exception, has its
rdison detre IN the policy Of raising a
barrier in the home market to the law
of supply and demand and to the
pressure of competition established in
foreign countries by the consolidating
forces we have described. In fine,
these instances go to show that within
an area of observation, covered by
hardly half century, new and dis
tinct movement has been concurred in
by every civilized country, the effect Of
which is to transfer new functions to
the state, and among them such as
were supposed in the philosophy of
the last century to belong exclusively
TO the family, and the individual, the
control of education and the regula-
tfon of labor. 1t has been resisted in
some degree in America, on account
of the traditional repugnance to every
form of interference with individual
freedom Of action; and it is in Amer
.ca that these consolidating forces are
now producing the most serious con-
sequences and causing the most lively
apprehension. While the vigilance of
the press has been directed against
the aggregation of power in the gov
eFnment, which was the aspect in
which it appeared most dangerous TO
our ancestors, the danger has been
looming up in another form, which
really furnishes a ground for more
serious alarm. The eccentric play of
an unadjnsted force is much more
dangerous in a republic than under
any other form of government. In
monarchy it is controlled in a degree
by the authority of the sovereign, |
while under institutions controlled by |
suffrage the irregular movement is
propagated throughout the whole So
eial machinery. And the history of |
republics shows that they are never
so much endangered by direct usurpa-
tion as by the social disorders, that
the popular sentiment, and
relax the popular vigilance. All the
indications from the recent movement
of public opinion go to show, there
fore, that the expedients, used to
countcract the danger in Europe, are
becoming more acceptable here. The
American people have such a Vivscous
sense of any menace to the equal oper-
alton of their Institutions, and such a
4 trenchant way of dealing with emer-
5encies, that mere traditional theories
10 not long arrest the execution of
when they are manifeslly
by the occasion. We see,
therefore,, that popular sentiment has
llready prepared the way for innoya-
iol by the violation of one of the
cherished American traditions con
:erAing the form Of our civil service
Ne see, also, That the popular jealousy
i monopolies, created by these con
forces, is already exhibiting
tself in political agitation, and as
hese forces develop themselves more
nd more on the industrial arena, the
Iuestion Of adopting a eounteracting
Spedient will enter more and more
nto public discussion. The vast area
f virgin territory, in which our re-
pndant population has found remu- '
eratiVe occupation, has swallowed up
iscontent, and the social struggles 2
ependiag from this question have
bus been adjourned But this re-
ource is now well nigh exhausted,
Or monopoly has invaded the public I
omain. The methods Of throwing
p protective leyees against the en-
roachments of consolidation will,
leTefore, furnish tho burning ques-
ons of political debate for the next a
eneration, and the easy going theo- /
es, which have entered into our ia
critance of social ideas, will come up
'r sharp inquisition. q
What is the meaning Of all the !
henomena here referred to, aud of i
le social laws to which they point n
% they indicate that the struggles of
lr ancestors, directed by the purpose
attaining free movement, and the 9
,ecializatian Of function according to {
diyidual yolition have been vain a
+ do they, on the contrary, mark the !
lal triumph Of the ideas, that fur
shed the animating purpose 10 these
ruggles, and the commencement of 4
Ie transition to higher forms Of this
,yelopment Of popular libertyl IN !
hat social condition will they termi d
tie = These are questions which it a
not necessary for US to answer here. Il
'e are not committed to the adyoca-
Of any political theory in the mat !,
:. Our object has been simply to :
rect attention to the phenomena as I
ey appear, and to explain them on g
me principle Of generalization. II Ii
ay be necessary to say, however, /,
Al the socialism which is thus result
g from the evolution of social forces
essentially different from the Pro- 81
astean systems, which, as formulate q
BY the French social philosophers, I,
. viewed with such nndisguised y
arsion hp our neonle They realir- n