The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1907-01-24
ADDRESS DELIVERED BY JOHN SCHUETTE
MEETING OF THE CATHOLIC
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS.
SOCIAL QUESTIONS.
Tuesday evening, January 15.

in the News that Attorney Burke was
pitted against me for debate on NUM-
cipal Ownership.
| did not know, that at my age, |
could be drafted to defend my country,
or to defend principle, but | now find
myself pitted against my neighbor,
Burke, who carries chip on his shoulder,
and dares me to knock it off to provoke a
combat with him.
What show of success would | have
in such an unqual contest? He, in the
prime of life, strong, vigorous, soulful,
while | in life's decadence, feeble, and a
soulless corporation. Why, he could
knock me out in the first round; and
after he had downed me, | could not
even hope for the sympathy of the au-
dience If this would be balm for my
wounds, but it would not. In my stage
of life person does not enjoy being pitted
against anybody, nor derive any com
fort from being pitied by any one, and
is the most content, when left to pass
his decl ining years in quiet obscurity,
The idea that my antagonistc neigh
Dor, Burke, who has his office across
the street on the third floor, now often
looks o W II on me on the first floor,
would, after having finished me, look
| down upon me with "A contemptuous, pity
ing smile, would be so mortifymg to me,
| that | would have to move to other quar-
ters to escape this unpleasant gaze.
There is nothing SO unpopular at pres
ent as a souless individual, which,
fear, | am considered. He must expect
prejudice, especially in controversy,
wherein he attempts to defend IA soulless
corporation. He must expect to have an
audience against him, however right his
argument may be.
For these reasons ] at first demurred
to the summons, but as the committee
assured me that the audience would con-
sist largely of friends who were in sympa-
thy with me, that it was not meant to be
a strenuous debate, that | should mere
ly give my views on social questions,
and guaranteed that they would see to it
that | would leave the hall and arrive
home safely with these assuring repre-
sentations | was encouraged to risk en-
tering the arena.
| know it is hard to believe that rep
rescntative of a corporation, or anybody
else could treat subject in which he
is interested, fairly and impa rtially,
But at my age a person gets more unself-
ish, more tolerant, more philoso phical.
Ingersoll once asked, What earthly use
is it., if you have a dozen pair of shoes,
which you cannot wear out in your life
100 dozen more"
Now let me assure you that | can and
will treat this subject with the utmost
| impartiality, and that am not so strong
ly opposed to municipal ownership as
some suppose, for at one time | ad-
viscd municipal ownership, at the time
l lost my soul by getting the franchise
for electric lighting about II years ago.
1t was in 1899, when our city council for
| the first time had under consideration
the electric lighting for streets and for
inhabitants of the city. At that time
| | advised some of the alderman to let the
city build its own plant. The council
did discuss this plan but as electric light
ing was yet in an experimental stage,
| did not like to take the sponsibility,
to risk the venture, and concluded to ad-
vertise for proposals, and see what they
might disclose. If these We're not found
satisfactory, it would then be time enough
to consider building its own plant
AT that time | had not the least idea
of going into the lighting business; not
until after one Of the alderman asked me
whether | would not like to put in bid
for lighting. Then it first struck me that
it might prove a good thing to run in CON
nection with my flour and plaster mill,
as this would tend to lessen the expens-
cs of both. SO | made bid, which was
nearly 80 60 lower than the others, and
as it was so much lower than the council
expected, the building of plant by the
city was at once abandoned, and the fran
chiSe was given to me. Under this fran
chse the city has the option to purchase
the plant after the first five years, at any
time, at cost price, less reasonable wear
and tear
At that time it was generally under
stood that if at any time after five years
the city should conclude to own and oper-
ate its own electric light plant, it would
purchase the one it had induced me to
build according to the franchise. it new
er entered the mind of any one that the
city should ever build a competing plant
as long as the existing one could be bought
at a reasonable price.
The main objection | have to muni-
cipal ownership is when it is attained by
unfair means and destroys existing prop
erty, creates two plants, when one will
do the same service, which necessarily
will be wasteful, and instead of saving in
the cost of commodity, will make il
more expensive.
Even Bob Schilling, the father of mu-
nicipal ownership, when first heard him
thirty years ago, speaking from dry