The Advocate and news., 1898-03-30

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sacred rights Of property namely, that
to them too often nothing else Is sacred.
As instances Of paternalism would
mention our railways, telegraphs, tele-
phones, street-Car lines, elevated rail-
ways, gas-wOrks In most cities, water
works In some. have In mind, for ex-
ample, the desire or New York for rapid
transit. New Workers for years pleaded
with private individuals, entreating them
to give the city rapid transit; but for
long time 1t scarcely occurred to them
to do anything for themselves.
Paternallsm Of a private character
as opposed, l mean, to governmental pa
ternalism-has made alarming progress
among us In recent years. The paternal-
ism to which refer Is paternalism OF
the rich, and 1t is a paternalism which
they should resist. Inequalities Of the
most injurious character are by many
held justiflable, because 1t Ia claimed that
we need the very rich to plan, organize.
and carry on all important enterprises.
Where would our railways be, 1t is asked,
II we did not have among US men who
count their money by the milionY There
Is scarcely town In the land where the
people are not waiting for rich man
to start some enterprise. Business,
churches, schools, all wait upon the
movements Of the rich. The idea OF self
help dwindles. People fold their hands
and wait.
There is no self-help for the masses
like state actlon--using state In its broad
generic sense as inclusive Of all subdi-
visions of the state. The state is suit
able field for the cooperation of ordinary
men with ordinary means. It gathers
up small sums, and uses the large aggre-
gate for undertakings which otherwise
would be beyond the reach Of any save
the rich. II is thus that In some coun-
tries railways have been built by the
people and are now owned by the people,
the artisan, the mechanic, and the peas
ant being all part owners because they
are citizens. A state may be mentioned
In Germany-W -WurteMburg- where the
railways were admirably constructed
under the supervision Of man who re-
Quired for his services leas than $1,000
per annum-perhaps equivalent to twice,
possibly thrice, that sum with us now.
The greatest universities of the world
are likewise state institutions. Scholars
look now to Berlin as the leading uni
versity Of the world, and all the endow-
ments which 1t has received from rich
people amount to less than $1,000, 900,
the income of which Is used chiefly for
special purposes like prizes, scholarships,
fellowships, etc, and NOT for the regular
expenses of the institution, which are
betrayed by taxation. In the United
States the State universities have re-
Gently grown more rapidly than the pri-
vate foundations.
do not say that 1t is altogether wrong
for us to ask people Of means to assist In
carrying on and developing our educa-
tlonal institutions, and / am sure 1t 10
praiseworthy in wealthy Americans to
give so generously as some OF them do;
but do say, without hesitation, that we
as people should be more self-rellant
and practise to greater degree self
help in all spheres Of social life, the
higher education included, for that, like
every other grade Of education, Is mat
ter of public concern and not class In
terest Nor must we overlook other facts
In this connection. Private paternalism
in education and elsewhere has danger
GUS tendency toward plutocracy. Some
times, even IL not so often as one might
think, support by the wealthy few Is
made virtually conditional on manage
ment in the interest of these few. More
than once I have heard the opinion ex-
pressed that the most fortunate thing
which could happen to an institution
would be the death of a wealthy benefac-
tor whose authoritative interference was
felt to be burdensome.
f.
Perhaps 1t is now plain TO my readers
why selfishness must demand very linn
ited functions of the State, and why we
must insist upon extended functions Of