Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1900-07-21
FROsTBURG, MD, SATURDAY, 21, 1900.
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP.
It's influence on the Public Morals of
Community.

community.
one of the stock arguments against
municipal ownership of public utilities
has been that it would mean an en-
largcmCnt of the SpOil> system, with
all its train of evils, and would result
in further decentralization of the public
service and dcbauchcry of the public
morals. says the Indianapolis Press.
But now comes Mr.. Il. Fulton Cutting,
who. in an able article in the spring
number of the quarterly Municipal Al
fairs, undertakes to Ovcrturn that
whole theory and who argues that the
best, if not the only, way to purify the
public service Is to 50 increase its re-
SponSibiliticS that the law of necessity
will create a cure for corruption and
incilicicncy.
Mr.. Cutting believes that the real
crime committed against society by the
spoilS system is moral. not economic"
and that the Surcst way to overthrow
it is to bring the duties of the munich
rality so close to the interests and ev-
Cryday life of the people that they will
feel a direct responsibility for the prop
Pr conduct Of public functions He
says:
"Now, the municipalzatiou of trans
portation and lighting in any large city
must inevitably bring its population
into direct touch with the adminiStra-
tion. 4 consciousness of personal rCla-
tiOn is awakened. The subjective Gle
mcnt of government, now ObScurcd by
our excessive Solicitudc for individuals
ism. is brought 10 light 1t is true the
sentiment created is mainly selfish. but
it is nevertheless educational 1t may
fairly be claimed that the selfish inter
CStS of passengers on the Bro0klyn
bridge made il. when operated by the
municipalities of New York and Brook
lyn. well managed and crcditahlc af-
fair and practically prohibited the In
reference rf Sp0ilSmCn. If the City'S
hrst essay in public transportation
could so forcbly demonstrate the value
of the principle. need there be any
fear Of extending its operation to the
entire civil system and ut the same
time increasing the direct participation
in government Ey the vast army of the
travelling pr iic?"
The writer's theory is that the cduCa-
tiOnal influence of municipal owner
ship will not be confined to the field of
business or economies. but viii widen
until it inclVdcS the social and moral
relat Of the people. with the final
result that Hll charitable ANA philan-
thropic mo- urntS will be managed by
the whole citizenship. through the mu-
nicipality One advantage of this plan
would be the saving of money and the
greater saving of energy now given in
a moro G" less haphaZard and exhaust
ing way t0 these matters. But by far
the greatest benefit claimed is the NOR
al education of til" Who'll" people result
ing from their community OF interest
and their personal contact with a-I re-
SponSihilty for the conduct of public
affairs. as thus enlarged and elevated.
Whatever may be thought of the en-
tent to which Mr.. Cutting carries his
theory, it must be admitted that the
principle on which 1t is based is philO-
sophie, as tested by history. 1t is pro-
verbal that reforms never begin at the
top. On the contrary. they always
ttlllt from iI)liStS II;tl nave so lOllcDtu
the understanding and conscience of
the people that the necessity for reform
is generally recognized. The public
has been driven to reform in self de-
fenSc by the very cXccsScS of the
Wrongdoing.
The main trouble always is to get the
people enlightened as to the actual
facts This is because of the dust
throwing of politicians. When once
they do realize them. their instincts
have been true and their judgments
generally sound as to the best method
of relief II follows that if the people
are brought in closer touch with the
municipality--if the points of personal
contact with it are multiplicd-their in
tcrcSt and knowledge will be increased,
their Judgment ripcncd. their patriot
ism stimulated and their moral natures
educated. all to their own great benefit
as individuals and citizens and to the
equally great advantage of the munic-
ipality and the state