The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-11-13
PATERNALIsM.
Many People Do Not Comprehend what
1t IL and IL Not.

FAlEHNA1ISM s
Many People Do Not Comprehend What
It IL and IL Not.
Much interest is now being taken
in what is termed paternalism. The
people are being warned OF the bane-
full effects of paternalism and the inn
plication goes that paternalism is all
wrong. Paternalism is for protection.
The prime purpose of government is
for protection. This involves an init
mate acquaintance with the condi-
tions and needs of the people, It
requires and even demands a strict
and thorough consideration of the in
terest of the people. No paternal-
ism; no government; no protection;
no prosperity or even existence itself.
The organized purpose of government
is to protect the people in their per-
sons and their property and maintain
such conditions as will secure the
largest measure of human happiness.
The object of the government is to
protect the weak by restraining the
strong; equal rights and equal priv
ileges" should be guaranteed to all
This involves incessant paternalism;
eternal vigilence is the price OF
liberty" Since government is for pro-
lection its functions are to determine
what are the most efficient means to
insure that protection. It is a recog-
nized principle of justice that labor
should have Its full reward, and that
conditions subversive of this principle
should be removed, and that whatever
stands in the way of justice should
have government correction. This
correction or supervision Of govern
ment (paternalism) should be made
without any unnecessary drain upon
the substance of the people. The right
and duty of the general government
to furnish something to represent the
surplus products of the people as me-
dunn of exchange is recognized and
approved by all, and that representa-
tive money supply should be ample
in volume or quantity to do the bust
ness of the country without loss Or
detriment to the producers of the
country, and that a volume of stable
currency should increase or decrease
according to the demands of trade; in
other words, keep pace with the bust
ness interests of the country. As
money is the representative of the val
ue of products, and as a medium for
the exchange of products, it should
have volume or quantity adequate
to this exchange of products, and
have it TOO without needless delay
or cost Why should not these pro-
ducts themselves be made the basis
for such issue of money. or such of
them as are of prime necessity and of
universal demand, have durable guam
titles and great uniformity of produc-
ton; such articles of prime necessity
are furnished by the producers and of
a non-perishable character, that they
may be held until needed for con-
sumption. Why not make these rep
resentative products of prime necessity
the basis tor the Issue of money, and
that, too, upon the products furnished
by that class who compose Al per
cent or nearly half the population,
rather than base the issue of money
upon the products of gold and silver
mines of an uncertain quantity, and
not at all corresponding to the prod
ducts of the farm or the needs of COM
merce OR trade, and such basis of is
sue (gold or silver mlnes) owned and
controlled by per cent of the popula-
ton? If the issue of money based
upon the products of gold and
silver mines of this and other coun-
tries, and that product owned and con-
trolled by a few thousand persons is
not class legislation, how can the issue
of money based upon the products of
80, 600, 900 Of people be class legisla-
ton? No legislation that benefits any
class and does no injustice to any other
class can be called unjust or class leg
islation. Alliance Farmer