The Marshall republican., 1907-11-29
THE AMERICAN IDEA.
lndividuaIism the Keynote Of Our
National Success.

mission On Municipal Ownership Show
Why American institutions Should
Not Be Abandoned at the Demand ei
Socialists and Munieipalixers.
The efforts Of the National Civic fed
Grafton have resulted in q commission
Of Americans whose FIRST interest In
this investigation, ~ In oil else. In "a
do what they may to preserve and coa
Time the American idea and American
institutions. believing that the high
state OF civilization and prosperity
In America justiies the American ides
and the American method aud places
the burden Of proof heavily upon tbose
who would say another idea and ~.
other method would result In improve
ment In the condition Of the people.
Believing this to be the thought and
Intent OF the membership OF the rom.
mission and Of the committee subor.
dinate to II, we still believe that there
are Ills In the American body polite
that may he rcmcdicd or cured. We
believe that. the remedy should b sp-
piled and the cure effected without any
unnecessary departure from the Amer.
lean idea and the American system.
| We believe that the framework upoo
which may he built purity Of admins
t%rntion and the highest possible goo1
or the citizens In In existence with 10
and that II II not necessary in the sS.
fort 10 cure the Ills from which to
body polite may he suffering 10 d.
stroy that body. We submit that. Nv.
Ing In n land where peace and pros
pcrity are the common lot. We must he
very cautious of change. This does
not mean that where abuses are found
TO exist they should not be promptly
md mercilcssiy cradicated, but u docs
mean that changes In system should
he undertaken only after conclusive
proof that such changes viii result In
lettering the condition OF the indivId.
ual. We had better bear the relative.
ly few Ills we have than subject our.
selves to unknown conditions that may
bring In their train greater Ills OF
which We do not know.
Our investigation has determined
with certainty many heretofore mooted
questions. II indicates the probably
correct answers TO other mootcd aucs-
tbns. Where the facts are clear and
the conclusion evident our tnsk has
been TO summarize and Indicate. Where
there Ii remaining uncertainty az 10
facts and conclusions are not evident
We have made m effort 10 determine
tho probabilities. This has resulted In
arguments based on such facts as our
investigators have recorded and on our
OWL experience as operators and OBJ
servers.
We. believe no intelligent reader OF
the volumlnous record OF this commits.
slon's work will fall to conclude that Il
clearly proves municipal ownership 10
be productive OF many and serious Ills.
with little or no compromising good.
The writer's OF these chapters. agree.
ir<. we believe. with the other members
OF the committee OF twenty-one. that
puh1ic service companies should reason.
ably DO regulated and Afforded the pro.
lection that comes with regulation and
approaching that the committee was
not appointed or constituted to consider
methods Of regulation, nevertheless de-
sire to record their opinion that some
form u regulation Of private COM
panies should be adopted In each OF
the United States. What that form
should DO this commission Is not pre-
pared by any investigation or any
study II has made to suggest.
Finally. we who stand In opposition
to municipal ownership. speaking. we
believe, for all indlvlduallsts. arralgn
the arrogance Of many Of Its advocates
In assuming that they exclusively DC
cupy the field Of reform In dealing
with the problems concerned and that
they are the sole promoters OF meas
ures of economic Improvement In mu'
niciui affairs. We assert that the OPP
ponents Of municipal ownership and
firm and consistent support
m of justice, are the class seeking the
welfare intelllgently and In nc
with American principles. On
this poi0t we do not yield to any body
Of men. \
We seek, a. n first principle. to In
sure every uf0u Nh oWu' AZ uohh8 -
and In e~ndeavoriug to protect the pub
lie against oppression and error We
ind II our duty to demonstrate the Of.
rors in the schemes of municipalities
and Socialists and to warn against the
that they threaten. We are
resisting efforts to put burdens on the
Backs OF the American people. We can.
not and will not remain silent while
the attempt Is made to thrust costly
and impracticable projects upon Gus
Of public service corporations
and upon the public at large.
We know the truth will out. We are
confident that ultimately the American
people must appreciate at their value
the nnsoundness Of the arguments OF
he municipal Socialists. We shall aid
IN fastening the day when our'fellow
citizens viii know through discussion
what the public OF London have besu
IA ght by bitter experience. London
has awakened to the perils OF munich.
a. sA~A ~ a. --a