Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-02-02
THE STATE AND THE CITIZEN

THE STATE AND THE CITIZEN
 This is a day and age of much theor- izing and speculative reasoning on the subject of the duties of the state toward thousands of it's citizens-a constantly increasing number in many states--who are out of employment. The "bread line,' which was established some years ago by philanthropic baker in New York, and which until recent years was confined alone to New York, has become necessary institution in great many states. Mir Terence V. Powderly, form erly leader of the Knights of Labor, is inclined to believe that the ''bread line" is in many cases an unnecessary institution. Recently he disguised him self as tramp and stood in the ''bread line' for some time, mingled with the men and became part of them. As a result of this investigation, he declares that the majority of those men who come to get free bread and coffee are men who would not work at honest cm ployment even if they had an opportun ity.
 MT. Powderly goes further than this and declares that there should be rem edy for the idleness represented by ths force of men in the ''bread line," ant he has devised rath'r comprehensive scheme providing employment for thes, men upon public works or upon farmi owned by the state. He thinks that al the men who are habitues of the ''breat line" should be arrested as vagrantl and put to work by the state, wher' their labor would earn them food, shel ter, and clothing in proportion to th' amount of work done. Those declining to work at the states behest are to b, punished.
 It is not too much to say, perhaps that the mere annunciation of such theoretical plan as this few year ago would have amazed us, because O it's socialistic, not to say paternalistic features. But, as was said some year ago by President Cleveland, in one O. his messages on the tariff, Tt is ; condition, not theory, that confront us.' And in the face of the storie of starving men and women in tn, larger cities all over the country, ", are inclined to think that any measure or any plan, that promises relief is en titled to respectful and serious consid eration.
 Of course, one may well question t what extent the state is under mora obligation to provide for its citizens who cannot provide for themselves. Blu that no state can hope to be happy O prosperous while it contains within it borders thousands of men insufficiently clothed and fed is too obvious to neet dwelling upon. In other countries, nota bly, Great Britain, some such plan al this devised by MT. Powderly has al ready been in operation for some time That country believes that it is thu duty of the government to provide al opportunity to earn a living for every man, and under some such theory a, that we, too, must look for relief iron conditions of which at present we can not help but feel ashamed. The very words ''bread line'' have a smacl of degredation about them. It may bt very well that the indiscriminate giving away even of free bread has tendency toward pauperizing the recipients O, the bounty. And if some plan could bt devised by which every man temporarily out of work would be given a chance to earn what he needs, it should be wei comed.