Arizona daily citizen., 1901-12-12
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The fatal facility with which various
Democratic organs and politicians turn
their backs on the fundamental doctrines
of their party and stand up for central.
izatlon and paternalism would be sur
prsng il it had not come to be an old
story There are Democratic newspa-
Iers of high standing that favor nation
al control OF marriage and diyorce--a
proposition that would have staggered
the Federalsts or the Wings and to
which even few Republican statesmen
assent The country has witnessed the
Attending spectacle of a Democratic
Congressman. with the appreciation OF
Democrats outside of Congress more in
ttuentill than himself, offering an
amendment to the Constitution Of the
nited states under which the states !
would surrender to the nation the cre-
alton and regulation of corporations.
Aud now We find some of our most
highly esteemed Democratic contcrnpor- I
aries looking with more or less Of favor
on the proposition that the national
Government organize and maintain a
gigantic savings bank to collect, care for,
and pay interest on the savings OF the /
people. The Atlanta Constitution, ed. /
tied by a member Of the Democratic ma
tionaI committee, has become an adyo-
cate ef this scheme. That paper declares
that the arguments in its behalf "are
worthy of consideration, and proceeds
tn lay them before its readers. In the
first place our Atlanta contemporary
says it is ca med that the system will
inspire confidence on the part OF small
depositora, since it will have back Of it
the resources of the Federal Govern
ment, and that, on account Of the alb
sotnte security which it offers, it will
prove an incentive to thrift. And in
the second place, it is asserted that the
system can be maintained without any
very great expense to the Government.
And further we are advised that il the
system is put into effect, it will relieve
in large measure the pressure which is
noN brought to bear upon the money
order department of the Government,
and what will be saved in this direction
will contribute largely toward defraying
the expenses of the system proposed
Thereupon the Constitution gives its
adhesion to this mountainous paternal-
ism in the remark that "most OF the
European countries have adopted the
system with good results, and il it works
satisfactorily abroad, there seems to be
no reason why it should not be put on
trial at home"
That is not good logic. The fact that
governmental project works we'll in
Europe is not a strong reason for trying
it in this country. Our plan OF Govern.
ment has no parallel in Europe, and
our political and business conditions are
unlike those of any other country. 1t
used to be good Democratic doctrine
that the Government must not do for
the people that which they could do for
themselves that the Government must
not compete with private business en-
terprises. Has all that gone by? Is the
party of Jefferson ready to assist a few
Republican extremists in plunging the
Government into banking scheme com
pared with which the national bank OF
Ja:kson's time were as a molehill to
mountain?
There is no question that the business,
il once started, would soon attain i'm
mense proportions. The Government
would, in few years, have hundreds OF
millions of the peoples money in it's pos
session. What would be done with 1T?
1t must earn interest. 1t must, also, be |
subject to call under certain conditions /
like the deposits in State savings banks
Are we to have permanent public debt
of indefinite and ever-varying amount?
Would it not be better policy to get out
of debt and keep out?
Suppose We should go into this monu'
mentally paternal enterprise. why should
we not follow it up with national insur-
ance-life, accident, fire, etc? There If
a great deal of swindling perpetrated by
insurance associations, and there are
OF policies that are rendered
every year by ignorant, blum
dering management, to say nothing OF
the looting rayages of rascals. If the
Government is to take care of the peo-
ple's savings, 1t should not hesitate to
be underwriters for their lives and
property. And when all that has been
taken on, only beginning will have
been made. The field is immeasurable.