The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1905-09-27
GROWTH OF PATERNALISM
A REMARKABLE AND STEADY
TREND IN THAT DIRECTION.
Government Doing Many Things the
Fathers .ofthe Republic Would
Not Have Touched.

The talk of government ownership
of the railroad and telegraph lines
that has followed the decision of the
people of Chicago to own the street
railways of their city calls attention
to the remarkable and steady move
ment towards paternalism. Those who
have not given this matter attention
are surprised when they are told that
big percentage of all the people in
the service of the government at
Washington are doing something for
the direct benefit of groups of people
rather than performing duties con-
nected with the administration of the
government They are doing hun
dreds of things that the fathers of the
republic wouldn't have thought the
government had anything to do with.
For instance, the government is just
now sending out half dozen or more
agents to discover new or better mar
kets for the products of our factories.
In JeffersOn's time it is probable that
| it would have been held that it is the
business of the manufacturers to look
! up their own markets, and yet the
manufacturers bureau of the depart
ment of commerce and labor is Occu-
pied entirely with promoting the in
terests of the manufacturers.
| And here is the free delivery system
| that is giving SO much satisfaction.
The effect of it is to make the people
look more and more to the general
government for the things they want:
and that system is likely to be greatly
enlarged by means of the telephone.
Not long ago Senator Fairbanks in
PRODUCED bill into congress to au-
| thorize pOstmasters to open quick de-
livery letters and telephone the con-
i tents to farmers and others living at
a distance from the delivery office.
That is now done to a considerable
extent. Where farmers have author
lied pOstmasters to open such letters
the telephone is used to notify them of
the contents. 1t is pretty safe to say
that the time isn't distant when the
telephone will become part of the post
Office system. 1t would be now, in all
probability, if congress hadn't been
! afraid the telephone companies would
swamp the government with their big
| bills. 1t has not been so very long since
the farmer had to depend upon his
own wisdom for weather forecasts.
Now such forecasts are not only post
ed by the government in all cOnven-
lent public places and at all railroad
stations, but the telephone is extern
sively used to warn farmers of coming
storms and frosts.
And the reports the government
makes of the condition of the crops
and of the acreage of wheat, cotton,
| tobacco and other crops are all for
the benefit of groups of persons in
different parts of the country, and are
not a part of the duties connected with
the governing of the people
1t would be an easy matter to name
scores of things the government is do
! ing for the people that have nothing
to do with governing them, but the
| foregoing are sufficient to show the
movement towards paternalism. The
question may we'll be asked, where is
/ this movement to stop? Even if the
| government should acquire the rail-
roads and the telephones, as is decreed
| by a very considerable percentage of
the people, how long would it be be-
| fore it would be argued that the gov
eminent should own the factories and
the farms, for surely it is best for the
government to find markets for manu-
facturers and to provide the farmers
with seed and warn them when storms
and frosts are coming, it will prob
ably be thought to be best for it to do
many more things for the people than
it is now doing. If we keep on going
in the direction in which we are NOV
ing the time is bound to come when
little or nothing will depend upon in
dividual enterprise.