The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1906-09-04
FROM
MR.. ROGERS
he Discusses Great Questions
Pays his Respects to Mr.. Terrell
His Tribute to Essex County Still Wants Name
OF Uainee Changed
Edgchill. Va, Aug Both, 1906.

Edgchill. Va Aug 3Oth, l9u6.
To The Free Lance
Tive greed oi pate,ualism is Unsuitable
II is the cry of the horse lccch. give,
givr. more. more The more the gov
rrnmcnt undertakes 10 DO for the citizen.
the more the citizen Will a>k be- done.
Thus government aud p'Opleare drifting
towards communism or socialism ~ lt l-
now known. ln - small way this ideal
form of government has been tried at
several different rpochs of the world :
history. without "a single Instance ui ruc-
cess. II has t,-.u demonstrate that Oh"
human hive. when SWarmrd thS WAY
with "A common store or hoard. lost lt-
incentive az individual enterprise. the love
of accumulation, with lt- cuns,q quent ag-
graudizmeut. aud became q community
of drone~ But history 10 the contrary.
strange 10 say. intelligent men Rnd lead
.r- of men are still found advocating this
urrnicuu- ~chems oi government which
finds it, most plausible expression Just
now i'm thrwiid clamoripr governmental
ownership or control of public utilities,
which. could it be- accomplished, would
bea giants stridrtoWards governmental
ownership oi everything. the fool para
di-e. the utopiau ciy-ium oi rampant
communism our fathers. Wise in state
craft. the great master bul der~ ui our
free institutions. hrii % the doctrine
that "the best governed people were the
least governed people, that except ior
common protection the sacred domain oi
personal iiherty should not he invaded
or iniringrd. that the government should
not undertake 90 du anything Tor ANY oi
it, subdivisions or citizens That IT. -ui-
divisions or citiz.u~ could d1 iur them
selves This was architectural wisdom ln
the construction of th. old ship 0i State.
"A glorious achievement. AMI hal We
stood anchored % these -ai" moorng-.
Sc would not now stand confronted 10y
All kinds of evil i-W-. clamOrug FOR rec
lgnition aud demanding that the gov
ernmeut take charge OF every thing aud
provide everybody with an cay lob al
big pay. But the government, National
and STATE. having long since stretched lt-
self far beyoudIt- constitutional measure
and limitations that oi making ami eN'
eruting lust AW~l. and 80 expanded lt'
functions and multiplied IT, Offices. until
il has become a huge lAzzaroui. whose
hu~in,s- il secm. l. 10 create offices and
-upplg places for tie idle and >Ai,tle-s al
the expense oi the energetic and thrifty
until nearly third Of the population o
our country are now office holders, and
more than "a third are place hunters. DE-
manding governmental ownership o
everything that everybody may hOll
place under aud be IN the pay O! the gov
erument. All this j. the advance guard
of socialism. " hich threatens ourcountrA
with anarchy and the overthrow oi oui
government. This advance OF socialism
has brought with tia train OF evils. Mel
are leaving the useful avocatons OF lii'
In pur-uit of more lucrative positions un
her the government. and the government
i constantly eating new and unnsces
-arv offices 10 meet this demand. Oul
legislature in sixty days last winter
found time tOcreate many new and need
lesl offices. and To- increase the salaries
and lees OF nearly all the old officer
~ well ~ its own, should 1t he
returned Nor does this spirit OF squan
der and waste Of the public revenues
stop or conhne itself to the legis
lative branch OF the government
For We find boards of education anc
boards Of supervisors stretching thell
powers into the legislative domain, anc
actually creating new offices, and apprO
priatiag the public revenues without
warrant OF law. In no other way caT
we account for the creation and appoint
ment Of five School Inspectors by the
Board of Public Instruction. Or the yet
more recent act of certain county SchOO
boaid- in apprOpriating seventy-hye Dol
! lara ont of the school revenues Tor The
tuition aud recreation OF seven teachers
at fredericksburg, and the further pro
mitigation of decree that these elec'
seven who enjoyed tie froilc should have
priority Of right over all applicants II
The dish-out Of schools. The remedy fol
this advance Of paternallsm, and TIM
waste of the peoples money upon the
-hftles~. can only be found in som'
change OF the constitution that shal
proyide for the election Of all officers 10y
the people. and for single term OF
tenure OF the same office.
rLLAINEE.
Remembering the admOnition OF th'
wise man. a soft answer tuInetf
away wrath" | undertake in thai
spirit a reply TO some OF the STRUCTURES
Of NV Young friend OF the above named
romatic and "up-to-date spot with IL
Ill. loy.s &C. . I yvoe inst wondering