The St. Johns herald., 1892-06-23
The State and the Individual.

to LOOK at It ana tnlnK aDOuI lC, tIldl the masses of the people should SC long have borne the tyranny and oppression of individuals, their own fellow citizens, in the performance of public duties, and that they should have allowed these individ- uals, from the discharge of public functions, to reap great profit, which of right belonged to the peo- pie. And stranger still would 1t seem if they allowed this policy to continue after they have reached a point in their history when, with a good measure of truth, 1t can be determined how great is the evil that has resulted. Experience has taught us that State power, allied with that of the individual, always creates a monopoly that expresses the people. Especially in the his tory of municipal government we have learned that the town itself, through it's own officers, can supply the public necessities of it's citizens with greater economy and less op- pression than when the discharge of these duties is transferred to indi- viduals.
 That which gives rise to oppres- sion is the natural desire for profit and the tendency, always on the part of the individual acting under corporate powers, is to reach the maximum of profit consistent with the continuation of the employ ment. This is the ruling principle Tn the management of all private corporations where they are dis charging public duties. On the other hand, when the Government, through it's salaried agents, per- forms public duties the object is to reach that minimum of cost to the public served, consistent with the expense attending the work. Ii profit is made, it results, not to an individual, but to the people. Itis no experiment. The theory is old. The principle has been applied with success in almost every department of National economy, and especial ly in representative governments, where a change of servants at the will of the people is possible. But even if it were an experiment, the objection loses its force where the converse of the proposition has been tried with evil result.
 We now find our Government, un- der a definite grant of power, dis charging a great public duty in it's Postoffice Department, through sal aried agents, for the people. All are satisfied, and not q thought of change is expressed. If one should attempt to have the service trans ferred from the Government and the power delegated to a corporation of individuals, the indignation of the people would be overwhelming, But suppose for moment that post roads" had been established in our early history by individuals, and that they, usurping the rights of the State, had been performing the public duty of transporting the mails, and that now for the first time it was proposed that the Gov ernment should undertake this work as a public duty. What an outcry would be raised by many. "What !" says the ranting objector, do you propose to subject all our pri- vate affairs to Government sur veillance? Do you propose to put a hired official, a Government spy, in every town, at every crossroads to possess himself, when he sees fit, of our secret thoughts? Do you propose to settle great army of locusts upon us to eat up our sub stance? What is to hinder my ene- my from conspiring with these hired officials to obtaln the secrets of my business, to defraud me of my rights and ruin my prosperity? Away with your propositionl Itis A | ssl- I