The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1892-01-15
PArsKNALlsM.
There Are No Statutes That Arc Not
Paternal or Class.

There Are No Statutes That Are Not
PAternal or Class,
The very word defines itself. Pater-
nal parent-like directing and caring
for as would parent Therefore
when legislation is OF paternal ma.
ture 1t is that species OF legislation
which causes the government to as.
sumo the oversight as would father.
There is but two species OF legisla-
ton, says the Toiler, One is where
the government grants its service, and
the other is where it forces obedience.
1t may force obedience where it grants
its service, or may grant its service
where 1t forces obedience These two
elements enter into all legislation.
The government grants its service and
compels obedience in our postal sys-
tenn. 1t grants its service in the life
saving system along our coast What
can be more paternal than the systems
namedP Take our protective tariff sys-
tenn, in it the policy OF our govern
ment is to force obedience; this species
is class and yet paternal; it is class
because the paternal power is
not extended to all tho people 1t is
paternal because the governments
service is extended to certain hene-
ticiaries At this moment we do not
think OF any legislation that is not
paternal in its relation to the people,
except the laying and collecting OF
revenues Even our penal system Is
paternal in its nature to tho public
which it seeks to protect There are
no statutes but what are pAternal or
class in their application, and some are
both. We challenge contradiction
of this assertion which has been de-
Quoted from The reasoning just given
OF the two classes, which is prefer
ablep Paternalism, when unadulter-
ated with class preferment has always
dealt out justice and never monopolies.
Class legislation has never failed to
father combines. 1t Is paternal for
our government to issue money. 1t is
class to make preferred receivers OF
this governments service but 1t is not
always possible to receive the benefits
OF the governments service without u
system which In Its nature would
seem class. For instance, suppose the
bogus protective tariff argument was
! true, that 1t was best for the whole
country that bounty be paid manu-
facturers, then the system would be
paternal in its nature but class in Its
application. Class legislation is never
safe unless 1t IS to carry out paternal
policy which applies alike to all. The
tariff system does not do this. The
national banking plan does not do It,
and they were both intended TO extend
a paternal hand to the whole country.
The trouble lies in the fact that class
preferment was given too much prom.
lnence In the two policies cited above.
II the reader has carefully caught the
deductions above, he is ready for this
affirmation. There has never been {
law repealed since ours has been {
government because OF its paLerna
nature. Sometimes laws OF paterna
nature have been repealed because o
the special privilege granted in th,
application-as in the case Of the oil
United States bank.
1t is entirely too late in the day {,
begin insisting that the monetary re
form asked for by the Alliance i
paternal. 1t has always been
paternal duty OF the government Il
issue money, The paternal feature
cannot be complained at II so wher,
do you propose to have our money
come fromP 1t Is paternal and ou
constitution provides for paternalsn
because 1t gives our government abso
Lutte control OF our money.
The Alliance iden is to secure thii
paternal service by method as VOID
OF class preferment as possible. W.
insist that one great argument In favor
OF our plan as against tho banking
system is that ours will bring 80 many
thousands--yes millions in close
touch with the government, while the
present system brings only hundreds.
The difference is, that hundreds car
combine for selfish purposes while
millions cannot A combine always
distracts the parental effort OF our leg
islation. We object TO the present
banking system on the same grounds
that Andrew jackson vetoed the re.
chartering bill for the old United
States bank, viz; that 1t puts the CIR
culating medium in tho hands Of O
selfish combine, or In other words the
paternal feature is defacedby the class
application.
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