Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1890-07-05

our freedom, ana liberty, ana unlver-
salty of education, and the excellence
OF our public schools, other nations
OF the world have been quietly apply
ing themselves to the solution of
these social problems until to-day we
can with profit look to cities of the
old world, as examples of clean gov
eminent, provisions for the general
welfare, thorough technical education.
and people absolutely free from
pauperism. Glasgow, Scotland, and
Birmingham, England, are models of
city government, with politics and
business entirely divorced, with pub
lie parks, libraries, schools, hospitals,
public water supply, public gas works,
and practically public street railways.
Southern Germany has her public man
uel training schools, and the enforced
education to some particular craft,
and thereby a means of livelihood as
a skilled artisan has made beggary
and pauperism unknown.
With the awakening to our fnan-
cal situation should also come an
awakening to the needed advance In
other lines, of governmental control
OF all things more of public than of
private interest, of system of public
schools, incorporating manual train
ing, and of compulsory educational
system thoroughly enforced, of a fu-
ture restriction of the elective fran
chise to those who appreciate its
value sufficiently to fit themselves for
its intelligent use, ard a declaring
of all who show their unftness for
its use by ignorance, bribery, or Grim
inality of any kind or form, that good
citizenship may have its reward, and
bad citizenship its punishment.
Would there then be left no fields of
private enterprise? Assuredly there
would be. The assumption of the
control of the public over hitherto
private matters, will not in the least
detract from the pushing of private
enterprise in new and undeveloped
directions Bear in mind that true
civilization is not retrogressive, nor
does it ever reach its progressive
limit. It Is a continual advance.
New developments make new wants.
The comforts of to-day become the
necessities of tomorrow, and the
luxuries of tomorrow become the
comforts of the day after. For the
management of public interests the
same men, the same brain and energy
will be necessary, as has been in
the conduct of private business
Wannamaker is no less usefully en-
ployed at the head of our postal SER
vice than when conducting his
mammoth business concern in Phila-
delphia, and his words bear the
weight of successful business man
when he says: "Rid the postal serv-
ice of its political might, and I can
save the government ten millions per
year and conduct its business more
efficiently" Who ever heard of a
strike of the employees of the gov
eminent? Steady employment, fair
hours and fair pay produce the re-
suit of contentment, and correspond
ing steadiness and fairness on the
part of the employees. The same
tact and energy that has made the
Pennsylvania railroad a model of
efficient service amongst the railroads
of the country would find active en-
ployment in making safety, speed
and comfort, the qualities of all our
roads, and an anxious public would
gladly hail the day when railroad
strikes would be written in the his
tory of the past.
Because private enterprise has adj
ded to the comforts of the world, and
private combination of capital made
possible better accommodations at
lower prices, that does not argue that
such enterprises should always re-
main in the hands of private corpora
tons. Because a street car fare has
been put at five cents it is no reason
that it should remain there forever.
Because the Standard Oil company
has gwen US a better article of oil
at a price lower than before they had
a monopoly of the oil trade. 1t does
not follow that the prices fixed by
them should remain, and a world pay
tribute to their enterprise forever.
The question is, could not the public
wants and public comfort and accom-
mediation be supplied at less charge!