The Washington times., 1894-08-06

ownership and management?
Beyond all question the nation may right
fully go as far as the truest regard for the COM
mon welfare evidently requires. This gov
ernment was organized for the express pur-
pose Of establishing justice and promoting the
common welfare. All other things are subor-
dinate to this. Without this all provisions
for the common defense, all desire for moro
perfect union would be useless and abortive.
But the first requisite OF justice and the COM
mon welfare is opportunity for service. :,
III government has any right to be at all
ard any function to perform, its first
duty is to see that every member OF the body
polite has an opportunity to render service
to his fellows and receive equal service at
their hands. The very existence OF society
depends upon the general exchange OF service,
and its perfection depends upon the cultiva-
ton by each member of his highest gifts and
upon the fair and honorable exchange among
the members of the varied products OF their
toll.
OPEN THE DOORS OF OPPORTUNITY.
"The chief business of society in its organ
ized capacity is to keep the doors Of oppor-
tunity open and to see that no one who has
strength to render service is allowed to buy
or cheat or steal his way among his fellows.
In our own country, where the humanities
millions OF our fellow-beings have had the
doors of opportunity for useful service shut
In their faces and been obliged to live an
almost idle, useless, vagrant life. Society
shows no concern about them until they vio-
late some law, and then 1t takes and houses
them and clothes them and feeds them at a
cost OF nearly double what the average toiler
has to live upon.
I'm the great money-making industries Of
the country competition no longer exists be-
tween individuals. individuals have COM
bined into corporations and corporations have
merged into trusts. Competition is practi-
cally wiped out and the era of monopoly and
tyranny is now upon us. The only salvation for
the people is in making these private monop-
olies public monopolies. They must take the
great monopolistic industries into their own
hands and run them in the common interest.
This is not paternalism. it is wise self-gov-
ernment. II is the only possible way in
which self-government can be preserved.
PATERSAL GOVERNMENT IN PULLMAN.
pullman city, the scene Of the present
eminent. The management of all its affairs
is IN the hands OF corporation, and cor
poration over whose membership the inhabi-
tants of the city have no vestige of control.
No matter how much is done for them moth
ing is done through them or by them They
are city OF children and their government
is paternal. Pretty rough paternalisn, L grant,
when the pater refuses to even hear the COM
plants OF his children and, shutting the door
in their faces. refuses to open untllthey come
to his terms. But paternaiism 1t IS, though
not OF the kindliest sort.
suppose. however. that the city Of Pullman
were owned by the people who live in it, that
they had a common interest in the great in
dustrial plan; and in all the public works Of
the city Suppose they had a common voice
in the management of this plant and those
works, would this government still be pater-
nal? No matter though the people in their
elective capacity should elect some one man
to the general management and put them
selves within certain limits under his direc-
ton, the fact tha; the man would hold his
place and perform his duty by the will of the
duct would keep the government free from
every ves,ise of paternalism.
THE PEOPLE TO HOLD ALL FRANCHISES.
Now. this is what We want in city and State
and national affairs. We want the people TO
come TO the front and mold ell the franchises,
now conducted in the interest OF few, sa-
cred to the service and the interest OF the
whole.
But it may be said that while there is
difference in form between paternalism.
strictly defined. and such popular exercise of
governmental functions as is above advocated
there is no difference IN the substance that
with individual freedom must
work injury to individual character and
through .lI.s TO the life of The nation. even
though this interference be effected by popU-
lar majority and not by minority or class
rule. We freely admit that any interference
with indiyiduli freedom tIat CONES between
the individual and the attainment of his IrCe
end. is an injury TO him ana 10 the nation. no
matter how or by whom Effected. But
whether the policy proposed involves such
Is the very question az issue.
''1nc entiro process OF civilization bas gone
forward by a Limitation OF Individual liberty
in some things that there might be enlarge
ment OF individual liberty in other things.
The individual surrenders the liberty Of being
a brute that be NAV enjoy the larger liberty
Of being a man. He has been SurrendeFing
constantly just in the degree OF his progress
the liberty Of an independent. unrelated be-
Ing that he might come into the larger and di-
vine or more human liberty that belongs to him
as a related and dependent member OF the
social organism.
ENLARGEMENT OF INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY.
Look for moment at the enlargement of
liberty that has come to the individual through
the growth of this organism. The liberty
of the savage was limited by a thousand
barriers that have no existence for the mem
bers OF civilized communities. The whole
world is open to us so Sar rs the natural results
of associated action have come to the masses.
The possible range of individual thought. feel
ing, action has been increased by civilized
society a thousand fold. And IT would have had
n vastly greater enlargement had not the in
diyidual persisted in claiming and exercising
n kind of liberty enslaving to himself and in
furious 20 the life of the social body. He has
been too often careless of liberty essential to
his welfare. and careful OF that the exercise
of which has brought him into bondage.
''The question we have TO lace In regard to
this movement to organize the great indus
tries of the nation in such way as to subor-
dnate individual profit TO the general well
fare. is whether it involves such infringement
of individual right and freedom as will come
between the individual and the attainment OF
that rounded life and manly character which
are at once the perfection of the man and the
glory of the state / do not believe it does.
The fear OF this is the chief obstacle to-day to
tine progress of this movement.
MORE PATIENT UNDER sELF-GovERNMENT.
'It is commonly supposed that when people
have voice in framing the laws under which
they live they are less restive and rebellious
under such as ,prove in their operation to be
unjust and oppressive than when these laws
are imposed upon them from without by
some despotic power. Knowing that they
are themselves responsible for their mis-