The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-22
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP.
Why 1t Is Not and Cannot he Profit
able Under Present Conditions.


No thoughtful man was surprised to learn,
few days ago, that Philadelphia had
leased its gas plant to private corpora
ton, because as a city corporation 1t could
not make the income meet expenses. The
reason is obvious-too many officers and
subofficers, too many employees at too high
salaries. and the impossibility Of reducing
this force under the inevitable necessities
of the municipal government to find places
for those who put the elective officers in
power 1t will not always be thus. AS a
nation we are yet in the experimental stage
of popular government, with much to learn
as to details. and most Of what we have
learned and of what we have yet to learn
can be learned only in the school of expe-
rience. Nothing has yet transpired to shake
our foundation doctrine, the equality OF all
men before the law and the sovereignty of
the people in all governmental affairs. The
manhood of every man is to be recognized,
and in not very distant future the dis
tinction of sex will cease But the right
of every man, regardless of sex or social
condition, to participate on equal terms in
the government of the State does not carry
with it the right of every man to equally
dictate in the management of the private
affairs of others, whether these relate to
the business of one who owns only dol
lars worth of property or a millions worth,
or whether an aggregation of capital suffi-
cient to build and equip railroad is in the
hands of an Individual or a combination
called corporation.
We have learned much in the last half
century on the qualification of voters, and
many States are applying our information.
Fifty years ago, when a new Constitution
for Indiana was much talked of, there were
those who advocated a clause in 1t which
should provide that after 1875 no person
coming into the State, by birth or other
wise, after the adoption of the new Consti-
tion should vote who could not read the
Constitution in the English language. 1hS
would not have disfranchiSed voters of that
time, but would require an educational test
for the future. The proposition was not
even introduced into the convention, but In
stead of it provision was made for broad
er franchise, requiring not even the protec-
ton necessary to naturalization of foreign
ers as a qualification. In these nifty years
several States have Incorporated this idea
into their respective constitutions, and all
admit it's wisdom. Within another fifty
years ii is not extraVagant to assume that
many other States if not all, will have
adopted substantially the same provision.
Such notifications come only in response to
the logic of events; they cannot be brought
about by discussions nor be materially mas
tened; and 1t no more affects the funda-
mental idea of universal suffrage than does
the provision which limits voting to those
who over tWenty-One years or age. Inc
application of universal suffrage to munic-
ipal elections was inevitable at first The
town meetings of the colonies were meet
ings of the people, in which everybody par
ticipated equally. A municipal election is
only town meeting of larger proportions,
but municipal interests to-day are so diff
ferent from those of the towns two hundred
years ago that we may well inquire II the
method of conducting municipal airalrs
then is applicable to the business Of to-day,
The short of it is that municipalities are
corporations for the sole purpose or looking
after the material interests of the town or
city, just as railroad or insurance or tele-
phone corporations are for their respective
affairs. They may no more duplicate
state law, even as to sidewalks, than these
gives the right to dictate the expenditure
of money contributed by others than the
riding upon a railroad entities passenger
dictate expenditures. This is why the cor
poration of Philadelphia cannot run the
gas plant of that city, those who elect the
officers have no interest in the profit or loss
of the plant, they caring only for the spoils
they can grab. No city ruled by those who
have no interest at stake ever can run such
plants. Does any one imagine that Mayor
Taggart, if he had been at the head of the
Big Four Railroad system, would have put
half a thousand of men at work on that
Pogue's run job-so thick that no one could
work effectivey-if the job belonged to his
railroads. Does Mr.. ingalls, employ inspec-
tors, engineers, subinspectors, subengineers
and the like whether they are needed or
not? The time will come when municipal
Corporations VIII own anu Operate ali pldHtS
which are necessary 20 the comfort and
economy Of the people composing the cor
poration; will buy and improve all parks,
will build sewers and improve streets and
sidewalks at the expense of the corporation,
and all this will be done as economically
as the Big Four or any other railroad cor
poration makes its own cars or buys them
in the market as may be done most eco
nomically, or builds its own bridges or lays
it's own track, and the necessity of dictat-
ing to what per cent. of it's capital 1t may
go in debt will be no more obvious than
like inhibition to railroad corporations.
Just by what steps such contamination
is to be reached is not clear Fifty years
ago wise men knew this country could not
exist half slave and half free, but how the
except that 1t was to be through the logic
of events, seeing those interests would not
listen to reason. Less than fifty years ago
wise men knew that the opening of our
doors to all classes of foreigners and even
bidding for Them as we did in Indiana. by
were citizens even, would work harm, but
what event or events would make men
clamorOuS to close the doors none could
foresee, and many other changes have
come equally radical. Just how we will
rescue our municipalities from the control
of those who never contribute cent to-
wards expenses is not clear but 1t will be
DONE and most likely at a fearful expense,
as the slavery question was settled. But it
will be done. 1t may take fifty years, or
through the painful and expensive process
of events bordering on revolution. The non
taxpayer is in the saddle to-day, the
slave power was fifty years ago. but he will
not always be- U. L. SEE.
Indianapolis Nov. 20.
OUR FILTHY PAPER CURRENCY.