Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1905-01-05
EMPORIUM, PA. THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 1905
The Observer.

The Observer.
When the Observer referred recently
to the socialstic program of the Inde-
pendent, he did not suppose for mo-
ment that he would be un ierstood by
any one as including such IL sues as / er-
sonal registration and thu protection {
streams from pollution, dnder the name
of socialistic. The Observer had par
ticular reference to the proposal of the
Independent that the government
should own and administer the rail-
roads and telegraphs. The Observer
would like to see our streams kept clean
and pure. He believes also that the
enforcement of personal registration
would contribute something towards
making the political stream cleaner and
purer than it is at present, No sane
person would ever think of calling
personal registration law socialistic
measure. For the peace of mind of the
Independent, the Observer begs to as
sure that journal that it is not because
of its advocacy of personal registration
that he thinks that it should haul
down the Jeffersonian flag.
Whatever may be the defects of JEFF
fersonianism, it is certain that Jefferson
stood for the principle that the individ-
ual is the political unit, and that one
individual should count for one and
| only one. The purpose of personal
registration measure is to prevent one
individual from counting for more than
one. Although it was Jsfferson's car
dinal political principle that legislation
| should be kept down to the lowest pos
sible notch, the Observer believes that
Jefferson, were he alive to day, would
heartily cencede the necessity of per-
sonal registration law.
Jefferson's cardinal political principle
was that the functions of government
should be kept down to the lowest pos
sible notch. 1t is true that he did not
lay down a hard and fast limit above
which such functions should never rise.
He was willing to allow the govern
ment to exercise any function which
the welfare of the people made abso
lutely necessary, but he demanded the
clearest and strongest proof that the
proposed extension Of governmental
functions was really necessary. He
q tlxy nfn tni
titude that the functions ofgovernment
should be kept down to the lowest DOS.
sible notch, consistent with the welfare
of the people.
The Independent, under the taint of
the socialistic virus, has abandoned this
characteristicJe j effersonian attitude. In.
stead Of seeking to keep the functions
of the government down to the lowest
practicable limit, the Independent is
advocating a very liberal extension of
the powers of the general governments.
The Observer does not believe with
Jefferson that the functions of govern
ment should be kept down as low as
possible; neither, on the other hand,
does he believe that legislation and
governmental action and interference
| is panecea for all the ills that the body
polite aud social is heir to. Occasion
ally, however, many men are carried
| away by the delusion that governmental
| Interference, in the way of making and
| enforcing new laws, is cure for every.
thing. Under the sway of that delusion,
they are eager to see the powers of the
government extended indefinitely. The
present tendency of the Independent is
towards this attitude, which is the op-
posite extreme from that of jefferson.
Perhaps it is officious to do 30, but the
Observer feels called upon to point out
TO the Independent the profound dis
tinction between these two attitudes,
and to ask the Independent which of
the two attitudes it intends seriously to
assume.
The Observer is far from seeing his
way clear to believe that the govern
ment should own and operate the rail.
roads. Such step would mean an
enormous extension of the civil service
and vast increase, not only in the
administrative power of the govern.
ment, but also in the political power of
the party and officials charged with t.
responsibility of administration. Com
| pared with such power, the power
which the general government now
wields through the patronage of the
| post,office department is small indeed.
The independent has had things to say
about imperialism Might we not
/ have serious reason to be afraid for our
| liberties, should such tremendous pow