The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-12-09
GRAIN OF WISDOM.

those who will not see.
We have plenty of light. no doubt
of it. What we want, however. is
simply to divide" the day of the fu-
ture from the night of the past;
and, behold the localities Of light" in
the skies of Progress. In submitting
a further explanation in detail of the
proposition. "A substitute for the
bounty system" as a means to encour
age home industries. | desire to say
that anything out of the usual" is, as
a rule considered a departure from
the practical But how did we-the
world. since the beginning reach the
climax of our present systematic per-
lection. if it was not by the Fabian
process of trying new things till we
got "there?" The proposed practice Of
deducting a percentage Of one-tenth of
official incomes in each county
uniform and laws enacted to this eff
feet by state legislatures. Consider
ing the matter but cursorily, it would
seem to be- as unjust to the few as
the bounty exactions is to the many.
Looking at it a step higher up leaves
no room for such a thought. however.
We take it for granted that the county
machinery is entirely local branch of
the government; a separate and inde-3
pendent organization, If we are so
pleased to call 1t, with the sole object
of its own welfare. It is also fact
and not a single chimera-that the
same county officials usually hold of.
fee but one or two terms, especially
where the parties are nearly evenly
divided; there is an average change
once every two years. 1t is also a. fact
that not all who work under the coun-
ty are elected to their places for
specific length of time by the people
The bulk are really such as work un-
der the officials proper; such as road
supervisors and those in turn en-
ployed under them, ETC., so that there
is actually a constant change. Hence,
the priyilege-for such, indeed, should
it be eonsidered-of being compelled to
Of ones wages, does not fall so much
upon the few" as would appear at
first glance, but rather upon many.
Then add this feature to it: What has
thus been "exacted" from hands en-
ployed is not put into private enter
prises for someone else to enjoy the
benefits, etc. but, on the contrary, is
really their own-their own property,
after all! After the institution is.
mature it's connection with the county
authorities is severed. 1t belongs to-
those whose money built it! That is
the idea. Should the enterprise not
prove as profitable to the stockholder
as anticipated let him put his stock on
the market, sell it, and certainly he
will get, at least, his money back But
there is an opening for the poor man,
who works with pick and shovel on
the roads, to become manufacturer!
Yes; and why not? Why alone should
mil,ionaires be manufacturers? Are
We not past-alas, mol but passing
the age when those privileged classes
alone are considered the favored
agents of kind providence in the con-
summation Of great purposes? There
can be no suspicion of what is called
"paternalism' about the plan sugges-
ted. 1t would, in the simplest sense,
be a system made statutory That is
to say, in other words, by law it would
become a custom and in time it would
be considered a privilege" to work
for the county with or without the
prospective view of acquiring stock in
an enterprise destined to create work
for others. One reason why all public
officials should not share the burden
and equally contribute to this indus
trial fund is this; State or territorial
officials do not hold Office for life, and,
if they have proved good servants,
may. at the choice of the people, be
entitled to the peculiar privilege of
going back to serve the county. All
people that work have a chance to
work for the county some time or
other. In fact, the county court should
be the sole factor through which this
business should be created; and hence,
a machinery sacred to the cause, from
being nearest to the people Chat is, the
county government facilitating this
one most important thing-thing or
conditioner the whole policy, namely,
the peculiar adoption of the enterprise
to the locality. Ordinary people-and
the class called poor men," do never
see their way through to spare anything
over and above for the savings bank.
And if they should wait until they felt
able to lay away spare dollar, or
something for stormy day, as a rule
they would have to-wait? Yes, and
would still be found waiting on the
other shore! On the other hand if a
small percentage of their wages be re
tanned by this syetem, though it have
a tinge of compulsion, habit becomes a
second nature, and there is something
to look to, and not in vain! an ensign
of authority amidst chaos, All! but
that is !encroaching on those sacred
libertiesi" it may be said. Well, if
on fancy liberties people would be rich
er. Speaking of the county strictly,
what is the difference between retain
ing one tenth of a mans earnings by
force of law for this laudible purpose
and the paying of a man in county
script which he cannot cash except at
a discount of 10 per cent? In either
case he loses 10 per cent. In the for
mer, however, he gets the benefit of
safe investment Why have your script
depreciate? Bring it to par, and let
the 10 per cent (Which was lost to both
county and its employee) be given to-
ward the building of some industry,
which, in turn, may tend to give the
poor man a chance for home some
day. The proportionate amount of
means obtainable would also be in
keeping with the number of popula-
ton. The number Of enterprises in any
one county would, thusly, be in pro-
portion to and dependent upon the
number of, Inhabitants. An average
sum is expended annually by the
court for employment, except, perhaps.
in cases where the county has recently
been bonded for some special purpose,
at any rate, upon the number of pop
ulation depends the amount of bust
ness in the county court; hence, upon
the amount of business of the court
would depend the proportionate num-
Der of industries thus established. In
Salt Lake county a great many more
are employed by the court than any
other county in the territory. And
here, in Salt Lake county, almost any
industry could be established and
would thrive. where the mouths of
canyons breathe the invitations of ages
ahead, with the promise of riches as
golden as the gold Of Ophir! There
is Cache county on the north, with
Weber between; Utah on the south,
with her fresh water lake and precious
stone quarries; with Iron close in arm,
where a mountain of iron naturally
suggests the idea of the furnace, the