The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-16
GOVERNMENT SAVINGS BANKS.


and Indianapolis has Plymouth Church,
wherefore we should be duly appreciative of
our privileges. We do not refer to the legiti
mate church work of Plymouth, for upon that
it is the province of no one to sit in judg-
ment; but we have in mind that secular or
political work that has centered about Ply
mouth, for some reason or other, and which
makes the building properly answer to the
places where the wise men Of other ages were
wont to gather for the purpose Of regulating
the affairs of the universe. AT periodical
times the wise men of Indianapolis meet in
Plymouth Church, wind up sublunary things
for time, and then 60 to their several places
of abode with the comfortable assurance in
their own breasts that the world will wobble
along reasonably well until they can meet
again and give things another boost. The last
enunciation of wisdom is from few amiable
and well meaning gentlemen, who have de-
termined that postal savings bank is the
one thing needful to rsadjust the
things, and usher in that millennium
which, but short time ago, and in the same
place, it was clearly demonstrated could only
come by "a revolution" One of the speakers
said the plain people had no confidence in
private banks, but would have perfect conf
dence in banks managed by the government.
| IL, g 1, -
tention is that these same gentlemen
are in the habit of meeting from
time to time and filling the air
with their assertions that the public service of
the United States is corrupt beyond degree,
and that public administration is by-word
and kissing. Now, if this is so, it is a very
risky thing these wise men propose. II the
civil service has been the rotten and corrupt
thing it is said to have been, will any of these
oracles be good enough to explain why the
common people come to have so much conf
dence in it that they are willing to entrust
their savings with these corrupt public SER
vantsR The people are not fools, and if this
confidence exists, the reason is that the people
have not believed the jeremiads with which
the reformers have split the air of heaven
from time to time.
But this aside: The question Of postal saw
ings banks is not onet be lightly determined,
nor is it to be accepted as settled because even
the oracle may have pronounced favorable
verdict upon it. We do not think it question
able that the idea is less popular now than
when first proposed. It has not withstood the
ordeal of debate, and for the very good reason
that it is, in essence and spirit opposed to the
genius of the problem in government that the
people of the United States are supposed to be
trying to solve It is not a salutary symptom
to see everyone flying to the government at
every difficulty that may present itself. The
Journal believes in the doctrine of protection;
but it does not believe that the government
should do everything for the people-furnish
them with employment, take care of their
wages for them, bank for them, issue the
money for them, manage the railroads, con-
duct the telegraphs, and do everything else for
them that the wit of those who desire
to SO into the government service
may devise. Why should not the
government wash for the people, bake for
them, butcher for them, buy and sell their
groceries, their clothes, their shoes and, in
deed, take general charge of themf We cam
not understand how those gentlemen who
take Herbert Spencer for their philosopher and
guide can meet in solemn conclave and arrange
that the government shall assume general con-
troll of the s'poor man." It is one of the
anomalies that it is in the interests of the poor
man that all these schemes are proposed We
would not dare intimate that there could be
anything selfish in the advocacy of these in
Vulnerable panaceas for the poor mans woes,
but sometimes we have been forced to the
feeling that not all who were crying
Lord, Lord so loudly were, after all, the
only elect. It is also an anomaly to US that
ties" the fundamental principle of which is
to teach men to rely on themselves, can advo-
cate these schemes to have the government
assume universal guardianship of the people,
1t must be explained upon the theory that too
much dabbling with reform has made them
mad. Surely, if they have any confidence in
their own theories, they are estopped from
the advocacy Of these dangerous misleading
and un-Amercan ideas. The American idea
is that the government is Of and for the peo-
pie, and not that the people are Of and for the
government. We regard the present tendency