The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1891-08-07
wHA.r II PA.rERNAEIe1La

ring the changes upon the word
''paternalism, - and seem to think
that by stigmatizing these doctrines
as paternaIistic they at once demOhsh
them. The gentlemen who indite
these articles evidently have 2 very
vague idea of the meaning Of the
word.
a paternaI government, as defined
by political scientists, is one which
undertakes to regulate the conduct of
individuals in matters pertaining to
themselves alone, or, at most, affect
| ing others Indirectly; for instance, a
government which undertakes to reg
ulate the eating and drinking of its
people, to prescribe the books they
shall read, the kind of clothes and
ornaments they shall wear-in short,
Tall sumptuary laws are paternalistic
in character. This kind of govern
ment is called parternal because it
exercises over its subjects the same
kind OF care that father exercises
over his family.
There are many laws now in force
in this country far more paternalistic
in character than any proposed by the
peoples party The prohibitory law
is paternalistic in the extreme, yet it
receives the ardent support of the very
individuals who inyeigh so bitterly
against the principles of the peoples
party which they dub paternalistic.
Laws prohibiting the circulation OF
certain classes of literature, laws pre-
scribing the age at which persons shall
marry, those regulating the sale of
drugs, and many others of like charac-
ter, are paternd laws; yet, ms such
laws are necessary to the public vel
fare, they are rightly regarded as "a
proper exercise of the police power of
the state.
On the other hand, the changes pro
posed by the peoples party, if enacted
into law, would not in any manner
abridge the personal liberty of citizens
or interfere with their conduct in per
sonal matters, to do which IS the very
essence of paternaHsm. The reforms
proposed simply provide that certain
public services now performed by the
| agents and employees of private cCrpOr-
atoms created by the government and
endowed with extraordinary powers
and privileges, that place them almost
beyond the control of the government,
shall be performed by the agents and
employees OF. the government itself.
1t may easily be seen that such a
change would, in no wise, trench upon
the individuality of the citizen. Ger
tainIy, the citizens of KfnsIey enjoy
as much liberty under our present sys-
tenn of water service in which the
works are owned and operated by the
local government as they would if the
! works were owned and operated by a
private corporation. The same re
mark viii apply to all cases in which
public services are performed by
officers of either the local or general
government. Without further illus
tration, it viii be apparent to the
thoughtful reader that whatever other
objection may be legitimateIy urged
against the performance, by the local
and general government, OF the public
services proposed i'll the platform Of
the peoples party, it is not open to the
2 charge of paternalIsm.
: The question as to what public ser
/ vices it is proper for the local or gen
eral government to perform for the
people is question of political
expedIency and must be determined
according to the conditions existing at
the time. No arbitrary line of
: demarkauon can be drawn beyond
which the functions of government
shall, in no case, extend.
In all civilized countries, experience
has shown that there are many things
which can be betterd done by the officers
of the government for the people than
Z can be done either by the people them
! SELVES or bY cornOratiOns The r,.,l,lil.