Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-12-08

INTERIOR OF A MECHANICS HOME.
.1Why,h said one of the GROWERS to me, II
dare not drive mail in the house where /
live, putfup a,shelf or change a closet par
tition." AN=
"And il 1t were my house / shouldn't want
you driving nails in it, either" | replied.
Moreover, my friend, a woman in The next
block has just told me- that one of the de-
lights of Pullman life is the care the COM
pany exercises in repairing the houses.
Everything is done promptly and perfectly,
she tells me. Send word to the office, and
within an hour the workman-plumber, car
penter5 or gasfitter-wil be onshand. No
waiting for days and days, no fighting with
the landlord"
I "But; Pullman makes me- sign an iron clad
lease, in which he has all the rights and I
none. He takes my rent out of my wages
every month, too"
"The lease you sign Is just such u one as i
have to sign in Chicago. And as for the
rent, you want tolpay it when 1t is due, do
you noti"
These are samples of the petty complaints
occasionally heard. More worthy of atten-
ton is the objection to the, Pullman idea of
controlling everything. The residents have
no voice in local matters. There are no home
politics, no caucuses, no town meetings.
Pullman attends to all affairs of local gov
eminent M consults only, his own wishes.
a1his state OF. affairs say the critics, ais I'M
American IT. destroysl citizenship. What
safeguard is there left for the liberties of the
.hs peop.s" flhman answers with a chal-
lenge to show wherein he does not well use
hia power. ut is true he says, shat / am
master here, but do l use my authority arbi-
trarily, am / unjust, am | negligent or indif-
ferent to the affairs of my peoplef Would
things be any better il we had local politics,
with ths corruption, extravaganza and mis-
management surely followinga In managing
fhIG cify tI,sStt h,,ctnac ,,,n IL, 1890
out. My interests are identical with those OF
the tenants fe traN
Even the critics are Compelled to admit
that Pullman is u just and proper governor.
Things &C right and not wrong. When they
go all wrong it will be time to condemn the
controlling power. But of those who indulge
In the sentifnentality that Pullman is a fail
uie because the public affairs are not man
aged through the town meeting, the caucus
and the ballot ~box-beeause citizenship is re-
p~ressed-let me ask what proportion Of work
ingmen III any community really enjoy voice
lnIeeal goyernmentf How much better thar
Ptilhtlttfism IS that citizenship Which gives
y a-G1liiqae Of .othpuse politicians the actual
control of things, and, which ,~fasLens nlpon the
public TREASURY lascotefie of chronic leechesl
How many workingmen in so-called self
governed cities find benefit to their purse,
betternieft OF their morals, Increase of con,
tent or happiness in their associations with
politicians2 . ltmaY he une1American toAsay
sd. ffi,t IN local z ifairs, except wIiei, fittings
are going all wrong and a Tweed ring is to
be broken W, the precious right of suffrage
is largely a delusion and a farce. Politics
too often means absence from home, neglect
| of work, indulgence and idleness. Pullman
is fortunate in having no local politics, mas.
tnWshsstsst the one politiciahsis a business man.
The only voter, the only taxpayer, the auto
GRAFT of the town, a ma whose interest in the
towns prosperity and in the proper manage.
Lrnent OF its affairs sat least equal to that of
ing "a smatoanaocTraey for New York, Chicago.
Kansas City, St.rPaul or. Buffalo. In Pan.
man 1t Is a positive benefit to all concerned,
u hardship to none. Y The social organization
Of Pullman is such that the unonocrat OF
whoever represents him must use his best
skill and energy to keep all at work, all well
Failure to do this is his own failure and ruin.
In this sort Of union there lies the strength ol
the Pullmanjdea. u go ,qsETc4 ,H sd
The critics have said that there was discen.
tent in Pullman. In what community. is
there not discontent29 Human nature is the
same everywhere, and there is no heaven on
Earth. A dozen visits to Pullman and gen.
eral conversation with its inhabitants Of ali
classes. have failed to disclose to me anyevi
dences of unusual discomfort. Some work,
linen growl atttheir wages and at the foreman
and "the company" But I nave seen sucf
Il 6ioNk u IA LII AhNpOl It's. Z ICY women com
plain that their houses are not as nice as they
Thought they were going to- be, but com.
plants OF the landlord are by no means un,
usual even in the happiest Of towns which
are anything but sun American"
wish to make the statement, as emphatic
as possible that there is III Pullman more gen.
ulne content among men, women and chill
dren than IN any other community of tenants,
/! poor or well to do, with whose social life 1
unfamiliar ret ~Gedge3cT iii iTl1ts-
The critics are mistaken There is no5de
2otsm IN Pullman, no unusual, discontent.
Bat-and here the critics who set down Pull.
man as failure may prick up their ears
there are no home owners. Hereis the secret
OF the little bit of dry rot that has crept into
this social organization. The 9ulimanSme-
chanic, who made one good stepforward by
getting away from politics and pot houses,
now desires to make another by getting a
home of his own, In a large community of
money saving workers it would indeed be
surprising ifItherel were not many with the
homestead ambition Repression of home
owning Is indeed un- American and one of the
defects Of the Pullman idea as originally put
In practice. But Pullman has already per-
ceived this, ! am glad to announce, and has
already applied the remedy. Just across the
railway tracks from that pretty station gI2O
acres of ground have been plotted and put
upon the market, The tenants and operatives
over, the way are rapidly buying lots, and
already some have erected their own bouses.
The company has also. built a number Of
houses, to beSoldt uponl the instaflment plan,
with an insurance feature added. If apur.
chaser dies after making but partial payment
upon the home thesiebt is Cancelled and the
widow becomes owner in full. s This oppor-
tpnity Tor home getting gives to Pullman the
perfection goes, in this imperfect world. The
critics ere wrong, and Pullman is a success.
8SF- Af9o' WALTER WELLMAN.