The log cabin Democrat., 1907-01-31

At the annual open session oi the Franklin literary society ot Hendrix College, Jan. 19, the sub ject of the debate was Resolved That the Municipality of Conway Should Own and Operate a Sys- tenn of Waterworks. The Log Cabin Democrat will publish the debate in full, giving the speech ot one of the debaters each week, in the order in which it was delivered.
 First Negative.
 Claud Nelson.
 MT. President, Ladies and Gentle
 men:
 We realize that the question of municipal ownership of water works in Conway is a most import ant one, and we hope that it is a question which the people of Con- way will soon be called upon to decide. We realize that there is a large and constantly increasing de- mand here, both public and pri- vate, for waterworks. But that is not the question with us. We contend, and shall endeavor to prove, that municipal ownership is not the successful solution of the problem. I shall present my ar gument for this contention under two divisions: that municipal own ership is unwise in theory; and that it proves unsuccessful in prac- tice.
 Municipal ownership is unwise in theory because it is not one of the three primary governmental functions. These, according to Allen Ripley Foote, who is rec ognized authority on municipal questions, are to promote intelli- gence, to care for the unfortunate, and to establish justice. Who will, for moment, claim that the municipal ownership of water works would secure the better per formance of any one of these func- tions?
 Municipal ownership is unwise in theory because 1t is socialistic in tendency. Is 1t not just as reas- enable to demand that the munich pality shall own the shoe factory the oil mill, and the flour mill as to demand that it shall OWL the waterworks? Almost everyone uses the products of these. Once we start in this direction we will never stop until the government has interfered in every field of pri- vate endeavor. Let me read, just here, an extract from resolutions recently passed by Tammany Hall, one of the leading Democratic clubs of the country:
 Every proposal that munich pality assume operation ot all pub lie utilities and reduce rates to per sons using them, regardless of what the service may actually cost, is an attempt to force some men to bear the expenses of others, be- cause where the outlay for opera tion exceeds earnings the deficit must be made up by taxation, and this we denounce as soCialiStiC and therefore hostile to ustice and subversive of democratic govern ment.
 We denounce the socialism which seeks to make government the sole agent of production as nothing less than proposal to re- establish the institution of tyranny and industrial slavery which per ished before the advance of Chris tian civilization. For the very es- sence of despotism is to vest in the state absolute control of all indus try, and therefore ownership of all it's products; while the essence of \ democracy is to confirm in every man the right to dispose of his own labor and possess in peace every thing produced by it. We hold it to be self-evident that If govern ment assume the whole control of production it would be its right and its duty to compel men to work for its enrichment, as it is its right and its duty now to compel all men to fight for its defense, and enforced labor, whether it be enforced by government or by individuals, is servitude.
 Realizing every socialistic pro- posal, however cunningly disguised under sonorous but misleading phrases, to be step leading inc vitably toward the establishment of despotism in government and .o.xx;+. J aT ', 1ohOr +ba Dar,