The Advocate and news., 1898-03-30

lncreaalng extent public IN character.
First the individual bears the burden
then perhaps the association oe indlv,d4
uals; then, IN the middle ages, thy
church; then, since the Reformation, ele
state, the greatest OF all cooperative in4
stitutions-that Is the people in theiF
organic CapaClty-takes up the work og
civilization.
Yet the state can never absorb an our
industrial and social life Society IN
greater than the State, and must include
a sphere for the individual and for pri-
Vate associations Of individuals. by q
harmonious development OF all sorts Of
activities will scope be Afforded for 4
richly diversified civilization and for the
best expansion Of true individuality. We
shall thus have the Aristotelian variety
In unity. f.
The educational value Of public own
ership and management may be con-
trasted with the lack of general edUca-
tionAl value Of corporate undertakings.
Austin, Texas, serves as an example. "A
few years since the first part OF caru-
paign in that city for the establishment
OF city water-works and an electric-light
plant was educational. It began In an
economic society OF some thirty mem
bers, which met from time to time TO-
discuss economics; and during the eIA
tire campaign there was an active dis
CusslOn OF the relative merits Of public
and private undertakings, and an exams
inatlon Of underlying economic and so-0
Clal principles was made by many citi-
zens. This Is the kind OF political actir4
ity which carries with It the popular
education which has been so much
lauded In republican and representative
government; whereas ordinary munich
pal campaigns are merely personal, and
leave behind only bitterness and digsen$
sion. Public undertakings carry with,
them instruction In economics and pOli-
tics, whereas fools can grant fTanchiec
to private corporations and let them ex-
plot the people. Turkey, corrupt, De-
graded, ignorant, turns over even her
lighthouses on the sea-coast to private
corporation.
Harm results from the use OF the epi-
thet "paternallsm." Il keeps us from
those works OF magnitude which would
be q real blessing, but does not prevent
a thousand and one petty acts Ok inter-
ference. M 4t
We may, indeed, go further and say
that In keeping us from works Of Enagri-
tude It necessitates countless laws and.
petty acts OF interference, and In pre-
venting action at the right time It ne4l
Cessitates action at later period when
II Is more difficult to accomplish the Gee
sired end. 1t keeps us from applying the
ounce of prevention, and as q cdrse4l
quencO we are perpetually trying tol
make up for past neglect by the use Cg'
a pound Of cure It would besO tinlid
souls, frightened by the cry of "patcgs
nalisIn," tell us--illegitimate to eTpendl
few hundred dollars in efforts to reform,
Margaret, the mother of CFiminals,p butt
we spend a million and quarter ON hez'
pauper and criminal posterity.
Mr. Charles Booth, in his book, "fAS
bOlr and Life Of the People" shows thsl
past neglect now necessitates Certain'
amount OF what he calls socialism. The
old indlvlduallsm, he tells us, has brokenS
down, and he adds these words: "Thog
Ough interference on the part OF the'
state with the lives OF a small frGctlor'
Of the population would tend to make,
It possible ultimately to dispense witM
any Rociallstic interference in the Lived
OF all the rest"
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