Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1907-09-13
THE AMERICAN IDEA.
lndividuaIism the Keynote Of Our
Rational Success.

ni-sien on Municipal Ownership Show
Why American Institutions Should
Eet Cs Abandoned at the Demand OF
Socialists ard Munieipabsers.
The efforts Of the National Civic fed
Grafton have resulted la a commission
of Americans whose first interest IN
this Investigation as i'm all else. Is TO
do what they may to preserve and con
tinnc the American idea and American
ins litutions. believing that the high
state Of civilization and prosperity
in America justiies the American idca
and the American method AMI places
the burden OF proof heavily upon those
who would say another idea AMI an
other method would result In Improve
meat IN the condition of the people.
Believing this TO lie the thought and
inteu, of the membership of the com
mission and of the committee subor-
Giuata To II. we still believe that there
are lis in the American body polite
that may he remedied or cured. We
believe that the remedy should he APP
piled and the cure effected without any
unnecessary departure from the Amer
lean idea and the American system.
We believe that the framework upon
which may be built purity of admins
tration and the highest possible good
of the citizens is In existence with us
and that 1t Is not necessary In the eff
fort tn cure the Ills from which the
body polite may he suffering to de
strOy that body. We submit that, liv-
ing IN a land where peace and pros
perity 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 he promptly
and mercilessly eradicated but 1t does
mean that changes In system should
he undertaken only after conclusive
proof that such changes will 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 60 not know.
our investigation has determined
with certainty many heretofore mOoted
I questions. 1t indicates tie probably
correct answers to other mooted quc3-
| tons. Where the facts are clear and
! the conclusion evident our task has
( been t. summarize and Indicate Where
/ there is remaining uncertainty as to
| facts ana conclusions are not evident
! we have made an effort to determine
! the probabilities. This has resulted in
arguments based on such facts as our
! investigators have recorded and on our
I own experience rs operators and OBJ
servers
We believe no intelligent reader OF
the voluminOus record of this commits
sions work will fail to conclude that 1t
clearly proves municipal ownership 10
be productive of many and serious ills,
with little or no compensating good.
The writers of these chapters, agree
Ing, we Eclicve, with the other members
of the committee of twenty-One, that
public service companies should reason
ably be 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 of regulation of private com
panies should be adopted in each Of
the United States. What that form
should be this commission is not pre-
pared by any investigation or any
study it has made to suggest.
Finally, we who stand in opposition
to municipal ownership, speaking, we
believe, for all individualiSts, arragn
the arrogance of many of its advocates
in assuming that they exclusively oc-
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-
niclpal affairs We assert that the OPP
ponents of municipal ownership and
operation, firm and consistent support
ers of Justice, are the class seeking the
public welfare intelligently and in ac'
cordance with American principles. On
this point we do not yield to any body
of men.
We seek, us first principle, to In
sure every man his own. In doing SO
and in en,leavoring to protect the pub
lie against oppression and error we
i find it our duty TO demonstrate the er
rors in the schemes Of municipalities
and Socialists and to warn against the
oppression 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
toners 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 unsoundness of the arguments OF
the municipal Socialists. We shall aid
IN fastening the day when our fellow
citizens will know through discussion
what the public of London have beer
taught by bitter experience Londor
has awakened to the pcrils Of munich
palza ion as Is evidGDced by its yer
dict in the recent borough and county
Secticns. In that great city the munic
ipaizers have led their fellow citizens
astray, and their dupes, finding 1t out
have administered to their false guides
mn Oyorw hplminp rphuEp
We individualists are not seeking t.
lead the people in strange paths. Oul
aim is to keep them in the paths they
have heretofore trod paths wei
known. alOng which the American PEG