The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-01-25
WHERE EXTREMES MEET.
1Greenville News

[Greenville News.
It is very pretty and interesting
process to trace the methods by which
two lines OF political thought staring
from apparently widely separated ex-
tremes approach each other until they
reach exactly the same conclusion.
The absolutist believes that the peo-
pie are incapable Of self-government
and lack the intelligence to know what
is best for themselves. He therefore
favors the absolute rule Of one man in
whom all power is vested, whose will is
law without restraint or appeal, who
controls the property and lives Of his
subjects, who is supposed to protect the
weak and to limit and repress the
strength of the strong.
The communist proposes to put all
power and property in the hands Of tho
State. Private property and personal
rights are to be obliterated. The State
is to take charge Of the people, to assist
the weak, to repress the strong, to put
and keep all citizens as nearly as posi-
BILE on an equality. The socialist his
very much the same ideas. We see
Master Workman Powderly, Of the
Knights of Labor, announces himself
to be socialist and declares as one Of
his doctrines that all railway, telephone
and telegraph lines should be owned
by the State. He says "by the people," !"
but be evidently means what the more
advanced communists call "the State"
meaning 'the government" This
government ownership Of means Of
transportation aud electric communi-
cation is an accepted article of the creed
Of the Farmers Alliance and the
Knights Of Labor.
Precisely the same doctrines and
theories are expressed in the demand
now going up on all sides for govern
ment interference in and contol of busi-
ness and currency. We are told that
the government should make currency
not according to any fixed laws or
methods but according to the needs Of
the people, as viewed by the govern
ment.
Ths difference between the absolatist
and the communist is then reduced,
practically, to very fine one. Each
believes that there should be absolute
power in the government over all the
business and affairs Of the people.
theoretically, the communist in this
country claims that the government to
which these powers are to be given
will be under control Of the people, but
his theory contradicts itself. We can
not give government absolute control
and unlimited power and change it at
our will. - - :, ..--.---@.9,. ---.-----:.s ..
Whether the government consists OF
one man inheriting tbs right to rule
and calling himself king, emperor or
czar; or whether it consists of q few
men ruling through party and nam
ing their own successors to be chosen
by form of election, the result is prac-
tically the same. A government may
be called a republic, but given control
Of all means Of transportation and COM
munication and the currency and army
and navy Of a country its rule and
ownership Of that country must be ab-
sollte unless it can be destroyed by
armed revolution. An illustration Of
the truth Of this is easily found. The
republican party has controlled this
government in one branch or another,
and frequently in all branches, thirty
two years, and during sixteen years Of
that time a majority Of the people have
steadily voted against it. Suppose the
government had controlled all the rail-
way and telegraph and telephone lines
and had had the power to issue money
at its will during that time? 1t is easy
to see that its power and hold could
never have been broken.
The theory Of the Republican party
in this country is in line with the doc
trines Of the socialists, communists and
absolutists. It tends to constant in
crease of the power Of the central gov
eminent and is based on the same dis
trust of the intelligence and capacity
for self-government Of the people. The
protective tariff is the most conspicuous
result Of its theory. The tariff means
interference Of the government to pro-
test manufacturers from foreign COM
petition and to force citizens to use
home made goods. Now, the extreme
anti-Republicans propose to apply pre-
cisely the same theory and have gov
ernment interfere to protect the people
from the power and exactions Of capital
and to force creditors to accept pay
meut from their creditors ID 8 currency
artifcially cheapered and forced in
to circulation. There extremes meet
again.
The Democratic theory Is that the
people are stronga and intelligentenough
to take care Of themselves and that the
less the government has to do with the
management Of the internal affairs Of
the country the better. It rejects the
idea Of the protection or helping ofany
class by the government. Its funda-
mental principle is local self-govern-
ment and the development Of individ-
ual enterprise and character, allowing
every man an equal chance to develop
what is in him and every man to suffer