The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1905-03-21

much thought Is municipal owner
ship. Is II possible7 Is It practical
Bile? Is It desirable? Practical rea-
soning calls 1t possible. Large con-
Germs like the National Cash Register
works of Dayton and many others
find Il valuable and helpful to run
their factory upon basis of owner
ship by its employees, each for all and
all for each. why not the city do on
a large scale what these private con-
Germs are doing on a small scaleT
Theoretical reasoning calls 1t desira-
BILE. Certainly there are many features
that appeal. Competition is waste Is
the axiom Of J. Pierpont Morgan. Mu-
nicipal control would always insure
the one and there would be no waste
The conservation of capital is an ap-
piled principle in all well regulated
Offices. Municipal control would in
sure this conservation. And again,
municipal control Is wording upon
the basis of faith In the whole peo-
pie And this is desirable.
But In the face of present political
life, are we prepared for municipal
control?
Philadelphia disfranchises her citi-
zens as completely as are the negroes
of the south and sells the waterworks
owned by the city and pockets the
cash.
New York makes millionaire OF
man on a salary of $1,500 a year and
prefers the administration that he
gives them to righteous rule.
st. Louis says without shame that
the only business of the city govern
ment is boodling. Gets the brilliant
idea of selling It's city-owned water
works from Philadelphia and sends a
man on to see how it is done and then
offers it for sale. Valued at 100000
900 it is offered for $4,000, ,0OO-a for
tune for each. And Ex-Governor
Johnson in pleading for the boodlers
says damn the rights of the state"
And then Folk breaks out "oh Mis-
souri,, Missouri, l am pleading for thee,
pleading for thee" Are we ready for
municipal control?
Not least of all the problems is
how to make the selfish citizen loyal
one, one who will not vote, into one
who has principles and practices them.
He does not bear his ballot and thus
expresses himself Is not citizen but
a parasite who drinks to the dregs all
the privileges of good government but
refuses both to record himself as an
endorser of that which it, or as an ad-
vocate of anything better. We still
hear the old cry of mo use', too
busy" etc. A short time ago in New
York city in an important election
three miles of Brown Stone Fronts"
furnished 2S votes. 1t has been said
with as much truth as wit: THE me-
dieval sovereign hired a fellow to be
his fool, but the popular sovereign
hires fellow TO be his master and is
his own fool"
"The average citizen has got to de-
vote a good deal of thought and time
to the affairs of state as a whole or
those affairs are going to go badly,
and he has got to devote that thought
and that time steadily and intelligent
iy."-As theodore Roosevelt says.
Let us without fear of defeat. hunt
with microscopic search for weakness
or decay remembering that the mos,
fatal diseases oftimes have no pain
and seem Insignificant. II is minute
insect that destroys the golden berry
Of the wheat; 1t is tiny germ upon
the leaf that destroys the budding
peach and pear; 1t Is rough spot
upon the potato that fills all Ireland
with dread of a famine 1t is the bor'
ing worm upon the ships hull that
fills the captains heart with dismay
as approaching battleships could not
But as our fathers met their prob
lens and solved them SO we will NEE
all the problems of our civic life ant
we will solve them. In sentiment W,
will stamp upon our new city hall "Ol
Justice, when driven from other habl
tations make this thy dwelling-place.
And every citizen will find that he Il
linked to other citizens, and IL lib'
climbers in the mountains he fails anC
falls, the steel pointed staff and sur
rope of the others shall hold him IL
safety and he shall return to do hi
part and there will be no loss. An,
the problem of the poor, and of NUM-
cipal affairs, and of city governmen
will all come under the zeal Of thos
who have in them and behind them
the spirit of the martyrs--the cour
age of the crusaders-the self-denia
of religious nthusiasts-liberal mind
and true consciences, to lead the peo
pie in majestic advance to loftie
plains of individual liberty and tn
highest civilization"
POTTER'S FIELD