The Louisiana populist., 1896-02-14
PATERNALISM.
THE GOVERNMENT PATEENAL-
ISTIC TO SOLDIERS.
Giving tn Trusts, Banks. syndicates and
Corporations the Rankest Kind of
Paternaiism and Dangers to the Pco-
pies Liberties.
The Helena, Montana, News.

opposed to paternalism. He seems tC
think that the principals Of paternalism
should not be introduced into govern
ment. 1t is true that he does not define
paternalism, and We are somewhat a.
loss to know what he means, but 1t IL
evident that he thinks the government
should do nothing for the people that
they can do for themselves. Our idea
OF government is quite different. Gov
ernment is for the benefit of the peo-
pie. and when government can do any
thing for the psople better than the
people can do for themselves, the peo-
pie ought to have the government do 1t.
For instance, the governments carries the
mail for the people; it does 1t far bet
ter than private individuals or corpora
tions could possibly do. The same can
be said of the public schools; the state
is educating the youth better than their
parents could, that Is, more people are
learning to read and cypher than would
be possible under any other system.
Now. il the government can carry our
mails so successfully, why cannot 1t
carry our freights? Is there any diff
ference In principle between carrying
letter and carrying heavier pack
age? II the government can conduct
our postoffices so satisfactory, why can
not 1t conduct our telegraph Offices as
satisfactory to the people? And why
not our telephone lines? We pay mil
lions every year for freight, for tele-
grams and for telephone service more
than it ought to cost us. At the same
time we are building up colossal for
tunes which are used to control politi-
cal parties and corrupt the people, that
the fellows may continue their plumber
ing methods. Is it not time the people
were taking thought to stop these meth
ods that have enabled the plutocrats to
plunder them? OF course the plutocrats
will oppose any such move. 1t is to
their interest to oppose everything of
that sort. Whoever heard of any one
who enjoyed an income without work.
ing for it, who was willing to give it
up? Hundreds Of years ago the gov
ernment Of England gave pensions to
persons for their votes or influence or
some good they were supposed to have
done the state, and made the pensions
perpetual, descending to their heirs to
the latest generation. Did these heirs,
who lived snugly of pensions paid by
their fellow-citizens, for which they
rendered no service whatever, and for
which no service has been rendered for
hundreds of years. willingly give up
their pensions? Not at all. In many
instances the government bought their
pensions for lump sum, but never
has one Of them been patriotic enough,
OF manifested self-respect enough to
say. II have not earned this money; 1t /
is not mine; bestow 1t on the state"
Privilege and favoritism never let go
what they get possession of, no matter
how unjustly they hold 1t, or how un-
fair to others may be'their possession.
The government, SO far as the army
Is concerned, is a rankly paternal one.
1t clothes, feeds, pensions and buries its
soldiers. 1t provides supplies for Its
officers, which they may purchase at
an advance of 10 per cent over the |
cost price, not including freight. 1t
provides butcher shops where they can
purchase meats. etc.. on the same terms. I
The president of the United States, by
virtue Of being commander-in-chief of |
the army, is entitled to the privilege I
of purchasing army stores. provisions,
groceries, butcher meats. etc., and every
president uses that privilege. Nearly |
everything that Is furnished the White !
House comes from the quartermaster
or commissary department Of the army.
Yet we find the same president. who
uses the supplies the army furnishes in
his own house. . privilege denied to |
any other civil officer or citizen, Is op-
posed to paternalism. He has privi-
lege that saves him q heap OF money |
every year, but he is not willing that
1t should be shared by his fellow-citi-
zen. II is not paternalism for him to
have such privilege. but It would be |
the grossest paternalism for any other
citizen to have such privilege. II the
government can furnish hay, grain,
-four, provisions, groceries, butcher
meats, kerosene, harness, horses. mules.
cattle, whisky, brandy. wine and beer
to men connected with the army to
better advantage than the users could
procure them Of private parties, why
could It not furnish the same things to
citizens? Let Mr.. Cleveland and his
snti-patcrnalistic supporters answer
this before condemn.ng paternalism.
The government does more for the