Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1914-01-22

Ia every state that has done better
than mark time, in every city that is
other than moribund, we can hear the
same protest.
The foremost concern of these cities
and states should be the adoption of a
policy of vigorous retrenchment pend
ing the reform of the methods and of
the machinery and organization of gov
eminent upon which economy and eff
ficiency are ultimately dependent.
But while this is true, it is also true
that their is grave danger of the public
being led astray by the overemphasis
Of the economy cry, and for the follow
ing reason.
The gentry that is protesting most
loudly and with the greatest exhibition
of public outrage is of the reactionary
persuasion. Having lost it's grip on the
government, and failing of any other
issue, it seizes with avidity upon the
increase in the cost Of government, up
on higher taxes, as an argument to
prejudice the people against progress
sive governments
In other words, these gentlemen are
trading on the justified resentment of
the public against extravaganza and
waste not because they are so enamored
of economy, but because they want to
deal the whole progressive movement
a death-blow.
This is what the people should care
fully bear in mind. When they hear
politicians and newspapers who have
steadily opposed the forward movement
in Wisconsin suddenly posing as the
friends of the peoples pocketbooks,
they should not be deceived as to the
Interior purpose q their new-found
advocates. They should make up their
minds that if the cost of government is
to be reduced it should be reduced by
the friends of progress and not by its
enemies.
And here is another thing the people
must not forget Those very enlarge
ments of governmental function and
governmental machinery, which, to the
greatest extent are responsible for the
increased cost of government, have
been created because they realized
their value in public service
The people should realize further
that this increased cost is not essential
to this enlarged service, that it is due
rather to the unpreparedness of the
state, the inadequacy Of its organiza-
ton, for the comparatively rapid as
sumption of these new duties; to that,
and to the temptation which these new
activities have offered to ignorant,
reckless and irresponsible legislatures
To the thoughtful citizen who con
Germs himself with the true inwardness
of problems and the bearing of their
solution on the future the remedy for
the situation does not lie in reyertug
to reactonary rule however much Of
economy that might promise.
Such a citizen wants retrenchment,
he wants economy, he wants the cost
of government scientifically controlled;
but he knows that this can be done
without sacuhclng the new and valua-
BILE engagements of the public service
to the demands of reaction. He knows
that it can be done by reorganizing and
simplifying the machinery of govern
ment, by reform Of the states business
methods, and especially by reducing the
size of the legislature in the interests
of publicity and responsibility.
There is no superficial cure for the
high cost of government, and a cure at
the expense of progress and public ser
vice would be dearly bought, The cure
must be fundamental or nothing at all,
and that fundamental cure is in itself
progressive and not reactionary.