The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-07-25
POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY FROM PULPITS
Burt Estes Howard Advocates Municipal Ownership Of Public
UfitiesDr Wendtes Parting Word on Loyalty.-Crumbs
Of Theology, Sociology and Theosophy Gathered


which temporarily
the Problem finds a habitation In
" the CITY the Los Angeles the
alter. The Rev. Burt
Estes Howard In dealing with the subject
Of municipal ownership yesterday declared
he had no apology to offer.
1.-THE highest function of the preacher
said Mr.. Howard, 'is not to arouse slug
gish interest in the affairs of some other
world than this, but rather to act as the
mediator between principles of righteous
ness and the business Of living In this pres
emit world. The pulpit falls to fulfill its
function, II 1t does not interest itself in the
whole range of matters that affect the life
Of the people. Nothing human is foreign
to It. There has been for long time >
mistaken notion that the work OF the
preacher was to prepare his people for
the life to come and lead them carefully
through this wrecked and ruined world into
the New Jerusalem. 30 because l
believe that the pulpit should take hold
Of every moral question-and every Ques-
ton In Its last analysis is a moral question
II speak on this theme which is agitatiDg
this city % strongly today. l confess to Q
far deeper interest in the public affairs OF
Los Angeles than In the private affairs of
the angels. 1t must be borne in mind, too,
that public morals mean more than the re-
preston of occasional or habitual out
bursts Of evil, or the violation Of ordinances
and laws. Every question which bears
upon the development Of the individual cit
ixen, or which involves the expansion of
public efficiency. or which affects the
health. happiness, intelligence or OPP
portunities for growth of the man or mass
Of men, Is a moral question, and Is the le-
Ultimate subject for the pulpit which Is
alive to the fact that It's mission Is vital
message to living men for the purpose Of
leavening all their life with justice and
righteousness and truth and love.
This nineteenth century, more particu-
larly the latter half Of 1t, has been marked
BY two amazing movements, the one po-
utical. the other social though it is difficult
to separate the political from the social in
these movements. so closely are they re-
lated. The first is the rise Of democracy,
or the diffusion of the popular suffrage in
matters Of government, movement which
has modified the political affairs of every
;civilized nation on the face Of the earth,
even where popular government has not
yet reached the stage of complete democ-
facy. The second movement is the central
isation Of population In cities"
A corollary of this second movement is
the GENERALIZATION Of political functions
and a decentralization in the state govern
ment 1.-THE time Is speedily at hand II 1t
IL not already here, when upon the
government Of the municipalities will rest
the welfare Of the country at large, when
the grave problems that affect national life
will be solved by the cities Of the land, and
when the functions Of office in these polit-
ical units will carry undreamed of respon-
sibility.
I'VE are reaching point very rapidly
where we must appreciate the fact that
honesty. efficiency and economy in the ad-
things; first, that public office shall be
based upon fitness determined by a strict
application Of civil service, and shall not
become the mere reward of political skull
duggery. and. second, that public utilities
shall be carried on for the benefit of the
public and not for the advantage Of pri-
vate corporations. A city is not con-
densed opportunity for the exploitation of
private greed.
I'VE are face to face today with the
problem Of municipal ownership of our
water supply. Probably at no time In its
history has this city been called upon to
settle a question involving such moment
GUS issues. The whole future policy of this
municipality is to be shaped by this action,
and the Importance of right solution OF
the question before us cannot be too
strongly set forth. From such study OF
the subject as / have been able to give It,
am firmly convinced that one Of the cry
ing needs Of this city, and of every city
similarly situated, Is the transfer of public
utilities from the control Of private cor
porations, which run them for profit. to
the hands of the municipality, which shall
run them for public service. In other
words, public utilities must be conducted
In the interest of the public, and not in the
interest of private speculation. And the
only way to secure this state Of affairs is
for the city to conduct its own public
utilities. :"
Natural and logical monopolies, Mr..
Howard maintained, cannot be regulated
by competition, and should be controlled
by the people. Turning again to the water
question, the speaker quoted the following
figures compiled by Prof. Commons, of
Syracuse University:
According to the census report of 1892,
the annual charge for water In an average
dwelling In thirty-six cities owning their
works, was $11.50 for an average daily con-
sumption of ninety gallons; while In four
teen cities under private ownership, the
charge was $1742, or an averages Of so per
cent. higher. The lowest charge was for
public ownership, $780, The highest was
for private ownership, $31. The average