The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-01-11
Local Self-Goyernment.


Governor RUSSELL OF Massachusetts
has given further evidence of the sound
ness of his Democracy by advocating the
principle of local self government to its
full legitimate extent. That is to say, he
not only objects to the increase of central
ization in the national government: af-
fecting the several states, but the same
principal in those states as impairing the
powers of the cities and towns and
counties.
The tendency has been of late years in
the direction which he has pointed out,
and in it lies one danger to Democratic in
situations. The right of the people in each
locality to govern themselves according
to their own local needs and circum-
stances is one of the fundamental princi-
pies of true Democracy. 1t is of the great
est Importance. Anything that leads to
the increase of authority, whether in the
local rights is to be opposed by every le-
ultimate means.
The moro intelligent and experienced
a people become the more power they are
capable of properly exercising in the
management of their own affairs. There
fore Capitalization should not increase
with the progress of the people but, if
anything, the tendency should be in the
other direction.
We regard as providential the access to
power which has come to the Democracy.
Not that we anticipate any radical changes
| in our system of government, for they
would just now be inopportune. But we
see in it the promise of a check to the
movement which would, in time, lead to
the clothing of the national authorities
with greater powers than those contem-
plated in the Constitution as it now
stands. If the people were capable of
self-government when this nation was
founded, and they have progressed with
the rapidity that is claimed, they ought
to be more fit today than then to regulate
their own affairs in their various local
tiles, and therefore Capitalization is I'M
necessary an6 wrong.
The various social problems that con-
front the people in different places can
best be solved by those who are specially
affected by them. Each community
ought to be able to regulate its own do
nestle affairs, and should be left free to
do SO wherein they do not encroach in
any way upon the privileges and immu
mites of other communities, or the rights
of the nation at large.
Every municipality, every town organ
ization, every county ought to maintain
its own rights as by law established, and
on the other hand they should all be care
full not to step over their legitimate
bounds or deny to the state or the nation
the full authority that to each belongs.
But an enlargement rather than a limita-
ton OF local authority is demand of the
times.
Local self-government lies at the very
foundation of the system established by
the fathers of our country, and its i'm
portance should never be lost sight Of
The greatest individual freedom, too,
should be accorded to the citizens that is
compatible with the general welfare.
Too much government is as much an
error in one direction as the lack of gov
eminent is in another direction. Self
government, in the sense OF voluntary
discipline and submission to every prin
ciple of justice and every regulation nee
essary to the good of society, is the best
government of all, and this should be in
culcated and encouraged everywhere.
l