The morning call., 1894-05-26
THE PopULIsT PLATFORM.

The invariable tendency of new parties
is to make a clean sweep Of established
doctrines and policies, and to build new
fabric from the ground up. The Populists
solve the problems and trample down the
difficulties which have embarrassed the
intelligent for hundred years and substi-
tute a new and untried system in their
stead.
The Sacramento platform insists on:
First-The Initiative, referendum, imperative
mandate aud proportional representation.
Sscond-Municipal ownership Of gas. cleo
trio lights. water works, street railways and all
other public utilities receiving a municipal
franchise
Third-The naturalization of telegraDhs,
telephones, railways and waterways.
Here are a dozen reforms, whose value is
differently rated by men of equal intelli-
gence and honesty. There is undoubted
merit in the system of the initiative and
the referendum. The latter is used in all
the States when it is proposed TO amend
the State constitutions. 1t has been used
in this State for several legislative pur-
poses Both the initiative and the referen-
DUN are in use in SwilZerland. But the
total population of that nation is only
100000, and the votes number less than
100000. These persons inhabit an area
considerably smaller than San Bernardino
County in this State. In such a contract
ed region this handful of people can read
lily meet to take part personally in the
conduct Of public affairs.
The second and third of the proposed
reforms are an expression Of pure pater-
nalism, the paternal power being vested
n OF in a monarch, as used to he the case In
The nations of Europe, but in the mass of
the people, acting through representatives.
in conventions, Legislatures and Con-
gress. According to these Populists. all
matters pertaining to the public comfort
in Municipalities, and all modern improve
ments designed for general use, such as
gas, electric light, water and street rail-
roads, should be owned and managed by
the municipal government; while cognate
agencies for the service Of the public al
large. such as railways, waterways, tele-
graphs and telephones, should be owned
and managed by the General Government
The general trend of intelligent public
opinion is toward the ownership and man
agement of public Improvements of vari-
Gus kinds in cities by the city government.
tent of such ownership, nor is it unan-
nous. Public buildings, water works,
markets, etc, are now owned by most
cities to their advantage. elf-government
has not proven such success in our
cities that the average citizen is tempted
to largely swell the power or 20 increase
the patronage Of those who are chosen
to administer municipal affairs. 1t might
not have proved Wholesome to place our
gas companies ana cur city railroads in
the hands of Chris Buckley; nor, If the
newspapers of New York are to be
trusted, would the people of that city be
benefited by the transfer OF their parks,
their elevated and street railroads, their
gas companies. their markets and their
wharves TO the control of Tammany Hall.
These considerations must be kept in
mind when the advantages Of municipal
paternaIism are commented on.
The same arguments. pro and con, apply
to the application of the paternaist doc
trine to improvements which are used by
the people at large. There is no answer,
from the standpoint of theory. TO the
arguments in favor of the acquisition and
operation OF the telegraph system by the
General Government But these argu-
ments were set forth with infinite force
and lucidity quarter of century ago,
and we are no nearer their practical appli-
cation now than we were then. The late
William orion, who was one Of the wisest
men of his day and generation, used to
smile when he heard them, and loved to
quote the phrase Of the ancient Hebrew
JOhauaD, THE grass shall grow out Of
thy jaws before this thing comes TO pass"
An ideal railroad system, owned and ope-
rated by the Government, with a schedule
OF fares and freiEhts exactly adjusted
to the cost of operation, would be a fore
taste OF Elysum. The Government at
Washington may, without very heavy ex-
pense, have an opportunity of foreshad-
owing such system when the Central
and Union Pacific subsidy bends mature.
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A FOREIGN VIEW.