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more intelligent And self-respecting audiences.CHECKS TO THE PATERNAL SYSTEM. 'President Ct.eyeland’s vc*o of the little Texas Seed Bill is a fit pendant to hi3 veto of the great Dependent Pension Bill. Nothing could possibly have happened better calculated to enforce the moral of his negative upon a great Northern raid on the public Treasury than this opportunity to block a petty Southern raid.It was the same principle as that of the Pension Bill, that the Government ought to come to the help of anybody who is in distress, which prompted the passage, of the Seed Bill. . Certain Texas counties have suffered severely from a long continued drought, and the farmers are: in need, of seed grain. But instead of organizing a movement to relieve this distress in the only proper way, by the subscriptions of their fel-low-citizens in Texas, or by an appropriation of the State Legislature, an appeal was made to Congress for $10,000 worth of seeds for distribution among the sufferers, and the ap peal was granted by both the Senate and House. This was -only an extension of the same theory which has led many Southerners to endorse a scheme for ap. propriations from the Federal Treasury to ht*Jp support the public schools in their States, instead of having the States themselves fully support them, as they are abundantly able to do. “ It is hare),” they said, “ for our people to raise as much mouey as we need to secure godd schools. If we are going to ex tend the length of the terms, as we ought to do. we shall have to increase the rate of taxation. Now, there is a great surplus in the Treasury-at Washington. What better use c au be made of it than to devote part of it to : mproviug our schools '! The* demand ..of Northern Republicans for more pensions feat Union soldiers, and the demand of Southern Democrats for Federal ap-piopriatioDS for: their schools, were- thus based upon the same fundamental j principle, that ai| appeaf to the general Government far assistance is in order whenever anybody needs hjijlp—in other -words, that the Government sho|ild support the people. ■ It is this pricriffle which Mr. Cleveland combats in hi? pension and sled-bill vetoes. “ I can find no warrant for such an appropriation in the Constitution,” sajjs the President in his message of yesterday; “and I do not believe that the power and duty! of the general Government ought to be extended to the relief of individual suffering which is in no manner properly related to the putjjic- Service or benefit, A pre valent tendency t jr.disregarcf thedimited mission of this power ajfifi duty should, I think, be sieadfastly resisted, to the end that the lesson should he constantly enforced that, though the people )support' J the Government, the ‘Gov-eminent should! not support the people.’* After , reiiiatkiiig that the frlehujraess and Charity of our-countrymen can always be relied, upon to relieve their fellow-citizens in misfortune, as has been repeatedly and quite lately demonstrated,” referring evidently to the liberal contribution^ for the relief of Charleston, Mr. Cleveland says: Federalaid in such cases encourages the expectation of-paternal care bn the paftt of the Government and weakens the aturdfiiess of our national character, while it prevents the Indulgence amofig pur people of that kindly sentiment and conduct which strengthens the bonds of a common brotherhood.” \ 1•In this latter sentence j the President states the fundamental objection po such a- scheme as the Blair'bill—that it “ encourages tbs expectation of paternal care on the part of the Govern--ment, and weakens the sturdiness of our na tional character or, as The EvENnta Post put it in the first of Ms series of articles againstrani•comdr-rs ea.-i lir.o A cai ary the rosi of tl thcs long disc dres appl spca Km wer enct A DCconj Den Hot he s tria as i1 sati; cati telli tion ver; moi rigt libr waj tors sojc eitb a gilettiapp:matAUtiatnob a st pen Lou rese to tl grai toci que: the cop: ban sent zeni bea: wht lie v Jadj ragof F bun Fre: pari ble: in ti mee Ogd rece shot age. non any: lari;lifeand for 1 ■■out men lev( ige. New nine livet Duh ttuy seen the I
Newspaper Details
New York Evening Post
New York, New York, US
Thu, Feb 17, 1887
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Library O.
DC, USA 07 Mar 2025
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