The Newtown bee., 1895-07-19
Affairs About Town.
CONSOLIDATION"


 G. w. B. argues that if I believe ir consolidation of schools I ought to move | immediately for the consolidation of Si Johns church with Trinity. The logic is funny. If peas are 10 cents peck, spring lamb ought to be 40 cents pound. My friend was not trying to be logical of course, but was giving vent to his feel irgs. He "hates consolidation" and l ' ish to get bis hesrtIright in the matter f st of all, if possible. And really I do |, think that he really hates consoli- ( tion, but simply the abuses of consoii- cation. Consolidation is good and often Very necessary the abuses of consolidg- ton are indeed hateful, and ought to be damned. q use the last word in the scriptural sense.)
 The fact that kings and emperors, Trusts, etc, cry consolidate" proves what power for good AS we'll as for evil there is in consolidation.
 Now I believe in consolidation of churches as well as of schools, whenever the best good of society demands it. But St Johns church is self supporting and happy and is needed on the east side of the town, while Trinity is strong and contented and cannot be spared from the west side. What we need in that case is not consolidation, but transportation for the people of Gray's Plain to get them to church. Better roads will encourage in that direction. Now if Gray's Plain and Half Way River schools had 20 pu- pills each in average attendance, instead of only half that number, 1 should not advise consolidation. Consolidation in this case is not for the purpose of op- pression and robbery, but to give the children of those schools more and bet ter of what they need, and without in- justice to the rest of the town.
 Consolidation is fundamental princi- pie in good government. The greater includes the less and is bound to protect and support each and all. G. W. B. is included in Gray's Plain district as one voter, Gray's Plain is included in New town as one school district, Newtown is included in the state as one town, Con- necticut is included in the United States as one state and the least is related to the greatest and to the whole, and the greatest good of the whole must be more than the greatest good of any fraction of the whole. All good gov ernment is a consolidation of power for the mutual good of all. If Gray's Plain district does not govern itself, the town has power to govern if. If Newtown cannot govern itself the state has power to govern it; if Connecticut fails to
 
 the resources of the whole country at his command to set things in order.
 Calhoun says: "There was powerful opposition to the adoption of the consti- tuition of the United States. It origi- hated in the apprehension that it would lead to the consolidation of all power in the government of the United States notwithstanding tEe defeat of the national party in the convention" The history of this country has pretty well settled the fact that general good gov ernment means consolidation of power for that purpose; and that States rights, and all other rights, must be held in sub- jection to the higher powers, whenever the greatest good of the whole demands the sacrifice. I am glad that my friend of Gray's Plain hates oppression, wheth- CT of kings or of mobs, and for that req son also 1 must still commend to him that noble word Consolidation. ."-[O. o. Wright.