The morning call., 1894-02-24
IS pATERNALTsM GROWING ?

MIR. Edward Everett Hale has written a
paper to show that the tendency OF mod
ern civilization is toward paternalism, and
that as the duty of supplying individuals
with education, records of deeds. light
houses. police, almshouses. hospitals.
postoffices, fire, gas and water departments
now devolves on the community at large,
the society of the future will devolve on
public officials the business of supplying
the public with technical schools. coal.
bread and such other commodities as enter
into general consumption. This is Mr.
Bellamy's argument put into new shape.
1t must be judged on its merits. 1t is
not clearly established, as Mr.. Hale as
sumes, that the share OF society in proyld-
ing for the wants aud regulating the affairs
of mankind is growing larger. and the
share OF the individual growing less. Such
matters as providing a supply of water
and preserving the peace through police
agency have long been the concern of
communities at large. and it can hardly be
proved that the communities have lately
required larger supervision over them
than they formerly possessed. On the
other hand, individuals have certainly of
late years extended the scope of their con-
troll over matters which at one time were
regulated by society at large. In all civil
lied communities men are free to engage
in any business they please. which was not
the case in European countries a couple OF
centuries ago; municipalities. guilds and
public officials interfere less with the voea-
ton of citizens than they did. No intelli-
gent community would suffer to-day the
regulation of prices by municipal coun-
ell, or the establishment of corvees by
Mayor or Governor. In a vast number of
particulars. the drift of usage is and has
been for long time in the direction of en-
larged liberty for the individual and de-
creased responsibility for the community
that is to say, in the direction opposite TO
paterDalIsm.
As invention progresses it will probably
be found that certain offices which are now
performed by individuals acting singly
could be better performed by aggregations
of individuals acting as a unit; for in
stance, it 10 quite possible that the heating
and lighting of dwelliDg-houses. and the
preparation of food for the table might be
accomplished at less cost by aggregate
than by individual exertion. But this
change could only be effected at the sacri-
fee of individual liberty, aud it would be
resisted by those who want TO live accord
ing to their own guise. The tendency to
rebel against procrustean meth DDS is pretty
general in the race to which we belong;
it would offer formidable barrier to the
social assimilation which Mr.. Hale presses.
Mr.. Hale thinks that departments Of
business which are conducted by public
officials are better conducted than similar
departments which are managed by private
citizens. He cites the postoffee and the
administration Of the poor laws in Boston
as illustrations in point. How far the
rule would apply, if every business in
which people are concerned were placed
in the hands of officials, may be Ques-
tion. If all the appliances of modern
were doled out to the public
by Kelly and Crimmins or Buckley and
LindO. it is net quite certain that con-
sumers would be as well or as honestly
served as they are. In the Latin countries
in Europe the idea prevails that the Gov
eminent should do everything; our idea is
that the Government should do nothing
except what individuals cannot do for
Which of the two plans is
the better is still debatable question, but
no indications of a change of policy by
Americans are yet discernibie on the hori-
ION,