The weekly examiner., 1891-01-17
SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 1897.
ANOTHER MAYOR SUGGESTING c
 NATIONALISM

ANOTHER MAYOR SUGGESTING
 NATIONALISM.
 LAST week in referring to the inaugural message of Mayor Sargent of New Haven, we said it was the only one of the kind ever promulgated in New England, or per haps in the Union. But the assertion, it seems, was not quite correct, for simul taneous with that of MT. Sargent's. comes the message of Mayor Matthews of Boston, similar in spirit and recommendations. This magistrate proclaims for the munich pality ssthe right to undertake for itself, if financial and other conditions permit, all functions of public character now com monly intrusted to private enterprise"
 Verify the ideas of the ''cranks'' are moving along and are having their influence even if the ''cranks'' themselves make little concrete headway. A little while ago these ideas were held and spoken only by sscrazy Socialists and others of simi- lar complimentary designation, even many others working in the line of reform being unable to assimulate such radical doctrines. But now ''our friends the enemy''are inno- culated and the virus is spreading rapidly.
 There is tinge of conservatism, howev- CT, pervading both messages, which may be genuine with the authors, or affected for purpose. We are inclined to believe that the student of economy having gone as far as either of these worthy gentlemen in his studies, would see that no financial and other conditions" here cAn stand in the way of success. MT. Sargent, in meet ing the objection of the inadequacy of funds on the part of the municipality to build and equip its own enterprises, sug- gests that it's bonds be issued on which to borrow the capital, as is done by private corporations. There is no necessity for doing this. Let the property of the city be taxed immediately to pay the labor involv ed in building and equipping, and the working of the plants will pay for them selves. Or, the city could issue it's own scrip redeemable in taxes, which would pass current from hand to hand until so redeemed. This is no experiment.; it has been tried before, and with unqualified success.
 It is current doctrine and generally be iieved that in order to undertake and ac- complish any great enterprise we must draw on the future for assistance; or as it is sometimes expressed: We must have future generations help us to bear the bur- den. This is an absurdity, for the reason that it is an impossibility. Suppose it be the building of horse railroad. Are not the rails already made when they are lain A4~ not tile laborers supplied with food, clothing and shelter while laying them? Is not somebody supplying these things in the meantime? Certainly. therefore are they not already supplied by the present. and as such how can they be supplied by the future? Leaving the factor of money out, the problem is seen in it's simplicity. We cannot draw on the future for the things we use and consume in the present, for they are not yet in existence to draw upon. This bonding idea is scheme of the crafty for the purpose of not only es- caping their just share of present burdens, but of taking advantage of the ignorance of others to place them under tribute. Why should any citizen of the municipali- ty be called upon to hand money over to another citizen, other than he who per- forms the labor, for the accomplishment of that which all in their collective capacity decree should be done for the accommoda- tion and benefit of all alike.
 But thought is progressing gloriously, and those who have been struggling for years to spread that thought have more res son to be thankful than cause for fnd- ing fault with little details of the philoso- phy like this. By the time the great mass of the people are ready to crystalize this thought into action, the philosophy will be much nearer perfection.