Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1914-03-18
THE DEFECTS OF PATERNALlsM.
Editor Willmar Tribune:-

Editor Willmar Tribune:-
Mr.. James Peterson in his speech
in this city called to my mind some
basic principles of government that
it might be we'll to think about.
Aside from all question of person
alities for state and legislative posi-
ton, it is really question of govern
mental policy. At present the tenden-
cy is to have the State do everything
for the citizen-protect the citizen in
business, health, wealth and general
welfare from the cradle to the
grave-in other words, paternalism,
socialism and it's inevitable, accon1pa-
nying restriction of individual activi-
ty.
We all have heard the arguments
advanced for this systematic old,
old argument since the dawn of his
tory-that the simple ordinary man
don't know what is best for himself,
and therefore he must be guided and
ruled by the wise.
shall not attempt to, refute this
argument here. l will simply say
that real progressive reform for hui
mainly has never in the worlds his
tory come from the wise, but always
from some ordinary individual of the
masses, from Christ to Lincoln.
What I wish to point out, is that
there are certain defects inherent in
state paternalism as we see it today
in actual operation, wholly aside
from it's standing as a principle of
government policy. Mr.. Peterson
gave instances of what 1 mean.
Take the State Highway Board as
an example. We all want good roads.
The idea underlying the State control
Of this work, is to unity and harmon
ize system Of State roads. It looks
as though the state could do that work
better than counties and towns. Yet,
If Peterson's statement is true and I
take it for granted it is and if other
statements of wasteful contracts
are true, then the percentage
of the money from the taxes that f.
nally actually reaches the roads is so
small as to make this state system
impracticable. The cost would be pro-
hibitive.
Now why is this so? There is too
much machinery between the power
plant (taxes) and the wheels (roads)
The automobilist will remember that
1912 years ago we had automobiles
with powerful engines. but no ability
to buck mud or climb hills. The
trouble with these machines we're
that between the engine and the
wheels, there was so much machinery,
so many gears, that the running gear
used up the power of the engine, be-
fore it got to the wheels. And now
the efficiency of an automobile is not
rated by the size of it's engine, but
the amount of power it delivers at
the wheels. Now the trouble with
all business affairs run by the state
is that is is wasteful-it fails to trans
NIT power economically. It costs for
instance several times the amount
to educate boy at the State Univers-
ity that it costs at a private school,
1dentically the same kind of an educa-
ton. All state affairs are wasteful
without exception because of the COM
plicated machinery of it's manage
ment, but some things the State must
do-take care of criminals, defec7|
tives and give elementary education
yet, because of this inevitable waste
fulness of state affairs, it should be
confined to the narrowest scope. The
end of our present program is confls-
cation, of the property of the middle
class Of society.
The other defect of state paterna-
lism is that itecIeates a political ma.
chine, an Office holders aristocracy,
that simply leaves the name without
the substance of real democracy. !
Our population in this state has In
creased slightly during the last de-
cade, yet the expense of running the
state has increased 300 per cent. Who
gets the benefit Of five or six million |
dollars per annum, that we now spend
more than in 1904? State Office hold. /
ers, Of course. And this office hold
er's army constitutes the political NAL