The Advocate and news., 1898-03-30

ti0ns OF the state. The TWO movements
have proceeded pari passu. Paternallsm
was connected with the feudallsm of the
middle ages, and In It's highest develop
ment was natural outgrowth Of feudal-
ISM Feudalism regarded sovereignty as
a private right, and like a father the
OVerlOrd protected his subordinates set
tied on his estates. These subordinates
surrendered themselves to his protection,
and gave up a large portion Of their
freedom. Out Of the institutions Of feu-
dalism and It's hierarchy OF classes grew
the conception of freedom merely as neg
alive. Not to be restrained by the state
was freedom; but in modern times, as
has been we'll pointed out, freedom i'm
plies participation in the activity Of the
State. During the period Of feudalism,
however, the functions Of the state were
comparatively limited. The revenues OF
government were relatively small, and
the chief departments Of state activity
at the present time did not then exist.
The administration of justice was largely
private. Public boards OF health did not
exist, nor even regular paid police and
fire departments. Streets were not
lighted at public expense, nor were they
cleaned by public authority; but each
one cleaned the street In front of his
own door, IL it was cleaned at all, which
was not usually the case. Education was
only to very limited extent, as COM
pared with modern times, a public func-
tion.
AS matter Of fact, those who would
like to return to European absolutism
urge as an objection against modern con-
stitutional government that 1t Is far
more expensive than the older, absolu-
tistiC governments which it has replaced
Very naturally So It is not more ex-
traVagant, nor Is 1t more corrupt What
parliamentary government does not
shine in both respects when compared
with France under the BourbOns, or
England under the StuaFts? The greater
expensiVeness of free governments
means simply that democratic govern
.ments engage in more numerous and
larger activities. 1t is commonplace Of
finance that free, demOcTatiCally gov
erned nations bear burdens which would
produce revolutions In a despOtlsm.
Why? Because in the one case the peO-
pie feel that they are acting, and In the
other case that some one else is acting
for them, In a paternal capacity.
We often enough hear Belf-help Op-
posed to the activity Of government; but
In what does self-help consist? In doing
everything directly for ones self? Then
| ought to bake my own bread, make my
own boots, build my own house, ETC.;
and all this Ia contrary to the fUnda-
mental principles OF industrial clyiliza-
ton. Self-heIp consists in having things
done. Do we practise self-help when we
let private corporations do things for us
What do those people mean who speak
about self-help In gas business, railways,
etc.? Shall each one build his own gas
works, construct his own railways, etc. :?
This is folly. Self-help can only mean
to have things done by our agents under
our general control, as In the case of gov
ernment enterprises under a system Of
representative government.
We see, then, that those people who
speak Of governmental activity as pater-
nalism have an altogether un-American
idea of the state. They are behind the
times, for they have transported into
our day ideas appropriate to the reign Of
Charles /.
There is a great deal OF paternalism
In the United States, and it is found in
the Industrial field. It is paternalism
OF private corporations performing pub
lie functions, because 1t Is claimed that
the people are not intelligent and moral
enough to perform them directly through
their own agents. Arguments used In
favor of this paternalism are precisely
similar to arguments used in favor Of the
old political paternalism- namely, tne
need Of intelligence and integrity su-
perior to that Of the mass OF the people
Like the old political paternalism, 1t is
irresponsible and rejects all claims to
control In the interests Of the public as
an invasion Of sacred rights. Like the
old political paternalism, those who rep
resent this modern industrial paternal-