Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-08-17

charge oi assininity"-the trait o.
stubbornness-would lie; but the
term is grossly misapplied when it re
fers to patriotic impulse which i'm
PEELED the Representatives OF the
people and the party, in the House
to accept half loaf rather than tc
obtain no bread.
Governmental Control.
The Examiners petition to Congress
that the Government assume owner.
ship and control of the Central Pacific,
the Union Pacific, the Western Pa.
ciiic, the Kansas Pacific and the Sioux
City and Pacific railroads, on maturity
of the bonds issued by the Govern
ment in the aid of construction of said
roads, is receiving many signatures in
this city.
Time was when the people viewed
with q jealous eye the appropriation
by the government of enterprises that
opened field for investment OF pri-
vate capital, but that was when there
were very few millionsires and nobody
who could multiply that great acquisi-
ton by figures representing from one
to two score. 1t was before it was
deemed possible that our rapidly de.
veloping country afforded opportuni-
ties for individual earnings that would
i'll time constitute a serious menace to
good government. 1t was before the
grasping, tyrannical, selfish nature OF
mankind had shown to what lengths
he would go when the reins of power
had been placed in his hands, as, for
instance, the closing Of manufacturing
industries to coerce the people into
any form of political supremacy. It
was before the tyranny of capital had
afforded the opportunity for dema-
gogues to place ring in the nose of
the laboring man whereby he might
be led to his ruin. It was in the days
OF peace and plenty and thrift, when
the people were influenced by alb
stract ideas of individual right, that
it was deemed in consonance with true
republican principles to separate the
government as far as possible from
those business interests which could
be managed by the enterprise of the
people.
But nothing teaches 80 we'll as ex-
perience. We see in the onward prog
ress of our nation occasionally things
which lead to . complete change of
ideas and in matters too which we
had been led to believe were founded
upon true principles. Wise is he who
can divest himself Of the prejudices
implanted by early teachings aud a..
sumo the new ground which Reason
approves.
1t was thought that the absorption
of any duties by the general govern
ment that partook of business ma
ture would be encroaching upon the
prerogatives OF the citizen. az well as
centralizing the power OF the govern
ment by the additional patronage it
would afford. The fear was that the
nation would have q tendency to drift
to the form of government from which
it sprang. Happily experience has, 90
far, done much to dispel THE belief.
The civil war demonstrated the neces.
sity of a centralized government TO
maintain national supremacy, and the
late strike shows that there are times
when State lines must be obliterated
for the benefit of the whole people.
There seems to be no reason why
the government should not make q
test of control of property of its own
creation with q view of affording the
primary object of all free government,
the greatest good to the largest mum.
ber." If public necessity requires
cheap postage, to bring its benefits
within the reach of all, an object OF
paramount importance may be OBJ
served by chespening the means OF
transportation and making it possible
for those whose endowment consists
mainly of health and Drawn to seek
locations where it may be employed in
development of the resources which
furnish life-blood to the arteries oil
trade. That this view has become
quite general is shown by the approval
of the petitions now before the people.