Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-04-25
Populist Arrogance.

Urged by the relentless logic Of events. the
Abilene REFLECTOR Is now an earnest con-
vert TO the PopulIst doctrine OF public own
ershlp Of public utilities. 1t wants Abilene
to buy and operate It's water works plant
Function City Tribune, Pop.
The above is good example Of the
prevailing style Of Populistic argu-
ment. 1t consists first Of arrogating
to the party everything under the
sun and, second, Of claiming that all
who favor any Of these things are in
favor Of all the party's wild theories
and anarchistic doctrines. Allparties
have some good in them, all have
sincere and honest adherents and this
is true Of the Peoples Party as well
as Of the rest. 1t does not follow be-
cause this is true that the Peoples
Party has mortgage on all the good
in the universe or that its platform
as q whole is safe for the government
Of state and nation.
There is nothing new in city owner
ship Of waterworks. Hundreds Of
cities have done this for years. 1t
was SO strongly contemplated in
1881 that it was put In the Abilene
ordinances that the city should have
the right Of purchase--and this was
nine years before the Pop party was
Matched, The REFLECTOR has the
same views on the matter 1t always
had. According to the franchise the
city co uld not buy the plant until
after 1891. After this 1t had back
rental bill Of nearly $4,000 hanging
over the municipality, with its ac-
companying threat Of expensive
litigation. Not until recently was
this arranged satisfactorily. Now in
another year there will be necessary
another agreement on the future
rental whether the present rate Of
1900, the old rate Of 5000 or an
other rate less than either shall obtain.
We believe the time has come for the
city to consider all methods and II
city ownership will best solve the
problem Of expense, let us have It,
II not we don't want it. Abilene's
necessities make it the duty Of our
officials to secure the greatest posi-
BILE revenue with the least possible
expense for the municipality.
But this is an altogether different
thing from favoring "public owner
ship Of public utilities in the Pop
sense Of government management Of
railroads, telegraph lines, express
companies, ETC., ETC., at one fell
swoop, an undertaking that would be
ruinous to the nation. The trouble
with the theorist style Of politician is
that he mistakes sentiment for bust
ness. All these matters are business
propositions, not sentiment. The
regulation Of the tariff Is business
matter, the protection Of the financial
interests Of our people. So 1t Is with
waterworks, lights and other matters.
1t is not a question Of doctrine but Of
dollars and cents and the wild vagar-
les Of communism, fiat and general
topsyturvydom which the Populist
party has collected together is as for
eign to straight business PROPOSE
ton as the sub-treasury is to the
newspaper business
The Populist party goes ON the
principle that anything worthy which
it may by some inexplicable blunder
have endorsed is, II accepted by any
one else, an endorsement Of the whole
topping paper house OF theory and
nonsense which the party has built
up on the sands. We expect to see
1t endorse the principle Of breathing
as a method Of sustaining life and
then claim as converts all who inhale
air, A party is getting pretty short
Of ammunition when it resorts to
that kind OF tactics.