The Washington times., 1894-08-06
BUGABOO OF PATERNALISM
Coniured Up to Defeat the Objects
Of Real Self-goyernment.
WHERE ACTUAL DANGER LIES
Rev. Alexander Kent Thinks That Owner
ship By the People of Great Public Agen-
cies Is in the Best Interest of the Com
mon Welfare and True Liberty.

Rev. Alexander Kent delivered sermon at
the Peoples Church yesterday morning on
"Paternalism." In the course OF his remarks
he said:
"The word paternalism is commonly used
In the press OF the country to-day to desig-
nate all measures which propose to widen the
sphere or multiply the functions OF the gen.
eral government. The particular measures
to which the term is most commonly applied
are those which propose the naturalization
Of the money, telegraph, telephone, railroads,
and mines and land of the country with a
view to the general employment OF the people
and the consequent improvement Of our So
cial conditions. Ali this sort of legislation is
roundly denounced by the general press as
viciously paternalistic, full of peril to all that
is best in individual character, and certainly
fatal to all that is progressive in the life OF
the nation.
Now. while we think paternalism an excel
lent thing in the sphere OF the family and a
very tolerable thing in the childhood of a
people, we are heartily opposed to it in the
sphere of national government, and especially
as applied TO a people who for more than a
hundred years have been practicing. or ut
least trying TO practice. self-government. II,
therefore, it can be clearly shown that the
aforesaid measures are fairly open TO this
charge, if their adoption means the abandon
ment of self-Goyernment and the surrender OF
the nation TO paternalistic rule We are
ready 10 look in some other direction for the
desired solution OF the social problem.
ANrITHKsIs OF sELF-GoyEREMESr.
"Clearly paternalism must be the very oppo-
site OF self-Government; must mean govern
ment by some body or some power outside Of
ard apart from, tho government. and just
how this sort of thing could take place in a
nation when government is for the people, of
;he people. by the people. cannot quite see.
OF course the self-goyernment of IA nation
cannot mean that every individual in the
nation is to shape things to suit himself re-
gardless OF the welfare Of Others any more
than self-government in the individual means
that every passion and desire and propensity
is 10 have lis own way regardless of reason
and conscience and love. Il means only the
rule Of the majority.
1.-The minority may use all proper meas
ures TO become the majority and TO
enlighten and influence that majority
even while it remains minority
but white it remains n minority 1t
has no right, and should have no power. to
block the majoritys action. Sei-gOyera-
ment in a nation then means government by
the majority; whatever defeats this and en-
ables the minority 10 get and to hold the ma
ioriiy IN its power is the practical destruction
OF seii-govefGment and the inauguration OF
class rule Paternali ism Is a government That
is neither of nor by the people and, therefore.
neither OF nor by the majority. Il means
government that hEs no root in the peoples
Will. government: exercised by somo person,
or class. or power apart from the governed.
sELT-oovEKNsiEST NOT ABANDONED.
as it proposed in this legislation objected to
as paternaiistic that we surrender the manage
ment OF our affairs into the hand OF some
person, or class OF persons, apart from the
Not at all. The people no M.orc
abandon sslf-governmert in assuming control
Of the telegraph. telephone or railroads than
they did in assuming control OF the postal
s ryice, the public sehool. the army and navy.
The trouble is that the great naiotity OF
people controlling the press ei this country
are 80 largely dominated by English Iue..s
that they are continually thinking OF govern
ment Is something apart from the people,
Bat government OF this sort has 10 place in
this country.
The government has no existence apart
neither Is the Cabinet. nor Com
,.rcss. i.or tie courts nor all of these together
The are oalF the machinery OF government
created by the people. aid changed at their
pleasure, for-tue execution OF their VIII. In
theory therefore, this government is purely
ana strictly lraterna., government of and
by brothers and sisters for brothers and sis
ters. There IS no naternalism about 1t, save
as the men we elect as our agents and sery
ants forget their positions and assume pater-
nalistic or royal airs. When they get here to
Washington they are very prone to do this
sort OF thing. But when they go back 10
their constituents for reelection they then
very humbly acknowledge themselves the peo-
pies most obedient servants.
PLUTocRAcY Is TIRE DANGER.
1.-THE danger in this country IS not of pater-
nalisin, but of plutocracy. 1t would be bad
enough indeed to have government in this
cease to be of and by the people, even
il it were for the people But it is great
deal worse to have it not even for them. Pa
ternalism. if true TO its name, would at least
be kindly. Plutocracy is always cruel. The
former might treat us as children when We
need to be treated rs men. but the latter treats
Us as slaves when We ought TO be treated as
brothers.
.It is true. indeed, that this class. now DOM
mating the country through control of its
money and industries, processes tine wisest
and truest friendship for the masses. 1t fur
nishes them employment, it tells us. 1t con-
ceives and executes. it would have US believe,
all the great schemes and enterprises of the
nation. Without its foresight. and thrift, and
energy in the various channels of industry
and finance. we are assured, the whole nation
would be in poverty. If it didn't take spe-
cial interest in electing the right men to Con-
gress and did not keep men here to tell them
how to vote on all the great questions of pub
lie policy. the whole country would so speed
ily to the bow-wows, we are told. in conse-
Quence of the stupidity and unwisdom OF the
people.
"And yet these are the men who profess to be
in dread of paternal government. They don't
want the dear people TO surrender seli-gov-
ernment Why. they have been exercising
the most Internal sort of paternalism. They
have robbed the people through their cum
ming and trickery of everything but the name
of self-government. In proportion as they
have thriven they have closed the doors of
in the face of hundreds of thou
sands.
HAVE THRIvEN BY NATIONAL ROBBERY.
''Many of the great schemes and enterprises
of which they boast have been schemes for
personal aggrandizement through national
The whole nation has just been on
the very verge of revolution through the
wre.chedness and discomfort which the in
Justice and robber.es of this class have en-
gendered among its toiling millions. These
very railroads over which the war has been
waging have served to enrich thousands oil
officials and impoyerish millions OF people.
The liabilities OF the entire railroad system OF
~. .at- INV