The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1886-12-03

INTERIOR OF A MECHANICS HOME.
"Why," said one of the GROWERS to me, ~
| dare not drive nail in the house where
l.e, put up shelf or change closet par
| tition."
"And if it We're my house shouldn't want
you driving nails in it, either" l replied
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
penter or gasftter-will be on hand No
waiting for days and days, no fighting with
the landlord"
"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 one as
have to sign in Chicago. And as for the
rent, you want to pay it when it is due, do
you not?"
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
"This state of affairs" say the critics, sis I'M
American. It destroys citizenship What
safeguard is there left for the liberties of the
the peoplew Pullman answers with chal-
lenge to show wherein he does not well use
his power. 1T is true" he says, Athat I am
master here, but do use my authority arb-
trarily, am unjust, am neg igent or indif
ferent to the affairs of my people? Would
things be any better if we had local politics
with the corruption, extravaganza and mis-
management surely following? In managing
this city pursue business principles through
out. NY interests are Identical with those of
the tenants"
Even the critics are compelled to admit
that Pullman is Just and proper governor.
Things go 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 sentimentality that Pullman is a fail
ure because the public affairs are not man.
aged through the town meeting, the caucus
and the ballot box-because citizenship is re-
Pressed-.let me ask what proportion of work
ingmen in any community really enjoy voice
in local government? How much better than
Pullmanism is that citizenship which gives
to clique of pot house politicians the actual
control of things and which fastens upon the
public treasury a coterie Of chronic 1eeches?
How many workingmen in so-called self
governed cities find benefit to their purse,
tent or happiness in their associations with
politicianss 1t may be un-American to say
so, but in local affairs, except where things
are going all wrong and a Tweed ring is to
be broken up, the precious right of suffrage
is largely delusion and farce. Politics
too often means absence from home. neglect
of work, indulgence and idleness. Pullman
is fortunate in having no local politics. mas
much as the one politician is business man.
The only voter, the only taxpayer, the auto
crat of the town, a man whose interest in the
towns prosperity and in the proper manage
ment of its affairs is at least equal to that of
all others combined. am not recommend
ing monocracy for New York. Chicago.
Kansas City, st. Paul or Buffalo. In Pull
man it is positive benefit to all concerned,
a hardship to none. The social organization
of Pullman is such that the monocrat or
whoever represents him must use his best
skill and energy to keep all at work, all well
paid, all content, ali healthy, ali happy,
Failure to do this is his own failure and ruin,
the Pullman idea.
The critics have said that there was discon.
tent in Pullman. In what community is
there not discomfort? 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 all
classes have failed to disclose to me any evil
dences of unusual discomfort Some work
men growl at their wages and at the foreman
and ''the company" But l have seen such
GROWERS in all factories A few women COM
plain that their houses are not as nice as thew
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 "un-American."
wish to make the statement as emphatic
as possible that there is in Pullman more gen.
uine content among men, women and Chill
dren than in any other community of tenants.
poor or well to do with whose social life
am familiar