The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-08-05

|;.usAISSEZ FARE AND THE
4 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL
PLATFORM.
IS; The perusalof editorials In certain newe-
papers professiag the Democratic faith.
Is at the present time, z mental exercise
more puxxling than gratifying; and. occa-
asonally leaves the ardent PRINCIPLES Of
less bewilderment.
1uch editorials tell IN that. according
/ to the Democratic creed. tho extreme dog
mas Of the Iaiasex-faire school Of thought
must be protested and followed with blind
adherence. In the presence Of evils most
gigantic and threatening. society must
fold its hands ana meekly submit to the
Unsuitable ravages OF the plutocratic spo-
liator. Government IL, so they say, fee
bic, yea, useless. fundamentally Of the
social state for the repression OF wrong:
by the bonds OF government. mankind
have been united to do nothing; democ-
racy Is an aggregation Of freemen studi-
ously bent upon the problem how to SUBJ
NIT most gracefully to every evil influence
that rolls its laothsome coils into the midst
OF society. and raises It's venomous head
to strike at the most venerated Of popular
rights, the most sacred Of personal privi-
leges.
In the parlance Of these energetic ad-
visers to inaction. indivfdualism IL the
true Democratic polity. They score the
application to all human concerns OF the
beauteous lessons found In the Gospel OF
Christ. To them the doctrine Bear We
one anothsr's burdens, AN ye are breth-
rem" must be rejected by mankind in all
dealing with governmental concern. no
matter how impious may be the violation
OF divine commands. 'Individualism,"
forsooth! The doctrine Of ultra passivity,
Of folded hands. OF averted gaze, Is ap-
plicable, so say these erudite philosophers
OF latter-day cult, even when the 'sHhip
Of State II approaching at full speed. dan
gerous reefs and angry breakers. What
though the railway corporations can tn no
way, save by governmental ownership be
prevented from managing the government,
and making that management the con-
summation of a vile and sordid conspiracy
against the public welfare, nevertheless.
we are told by Democratic" journals that
to advocate the control and operation Of
these in the public interest alone II an
onense 50 heinous as to be properly desig-
mated by no term yet discovered Of Inn
port sufficiently terrific They call the
doctrine favoring united effort, through
the agency Of government, to throttle the
powers of political darkness to establish
popular supremacy, and to suppress the
imperialism Of plutocracy, system Of
paternalism. To whirl this mouth-flling
word. ad nauseam through editorial col
umns, seems to be the most approved
journalistic mode Of welding a scouree
against the backs Of those who never fal-
ter In the advocacy or application of the
MAXIM "Salus populi, supreme lex"
It Is conceded that, as a matter Of law.
every railroad is public highway. It
can exist upon no other theory. Its right to
cross ordinary highways, the right to
collect tolls. to acquire private property
grants from the plentitude Of popular SOW
ereignity. The law holds the CORPORATIONS
in present control of railways to be merely
agents Of the state. The assumption by
the principal Of the direct exercised upon
against the will Of the owner, are all
his part, Of functions heretofore exercised
by his agents is, however, opposed as
"paternalistic' by the carping critics who
exploit "the do something theory" Of gov
eminent.
Popular government is. necessarily. CO
operative. 1t obeys no master. It is
managed by the people. These truisms.
when collated. demonstrate the fallaoy Of
terming any act of sovereignty performed
directly instead of Indirectly, an act which
any fatherly sway or master-like supervi-
sion such az would be logically implied by
the term "paternalisism.'
When a government creates q corpora
ton, it is generating artificial creatures.
Is not this veritable "paternalism Do
any of the "individualists" who interpose
between the outraged people and their
foul oppressors- the masses and
the Goulds. Rochefellers. ct i'd omne
genus terrible-object to the creation of
private corporations? No, they object to
any withdrawal by the creative power of
any powers or privileges. They are the
to warn against "paternalism," and yet
to pose az the protector Of the corporate
hyenas glibly utterlng, me touchez-vous
pas"
Out upon such spurious Democracy! If
living, Jefferson would condemn it to ever
lasting anathema. The Sage of Monticello
was the originator Of that most "pater-
nalistic" conception-the founding of q
University of Virginia. During his term
Of service as minister to France he was
in correspondence with General George
Washington regarding the construction by
the state Of Virginia of canals to connect
the Potamac river and other Underwater
streams with the waters Of the Ohio river
and the Great Lakes. He hailed with de-
light the construction Of the Erie canal by
the state Of New York.
In his day the idea of turning over pub
lie highways to private control had not
yet been preached To be sure. he opposed
the execution by the Federal government
of works of internal improvement; but his
opposition was based upon one ground
and one only, to-wft, that the power to
make internal improvements had not been
granted by the states to the Fedreal gov
eminent. Mr.. Jefferson, however, at no
time denied the power of each state to
make internal improvements, nor did he
discountenance the execution Of that
power.
Ignorance on the part Of the present gen.