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Show "MOHTLY FOOI.8." A person lu applying the stigma of "fool" to au individual takes upon himself him-self some risk. Include the individuals in a community, average them all as fools, or "mostly fools," and every person per-son in the crowd accepts his iiilinites-siinal iiilinites-siinal portion of tho general dose as a joke. A recent pamphlet, entitled "Mostly Fools," is addressed to that long suffering suffer-ing conglomerate of fools called the "public." The basis of the author's argument, as well as of his charge that the public are "mostly fools," is involved in-volved in tho maxim of the financially wise who work tins machine, that "to tako thousands of dollars from the few is 'well, " but to lake pennies from the million is better.'.' And as the few shrewd takers get hold of some public franchise by paying liberally at the outset in cash, if it cannot be obtained ob-tained by bribery or by liberal promises, prom-ises, then, seeuro in their monopoly, monop-oly, rake in tho pontiles or the dimes from the million until their dividends on money luvosted return them fortunes. for-tunes. When tho public awakes to the fact that it is being fleeced, tho stock pi the fleecer is watered and tho net profits pro-fits are scattered over a larger surface us a blind, but are finally concentrated ill tho original number of pockets. With the rapid growth of towns, cities and country these public franchises increase in-crease in number and grow valuable with ago. United by tho "adhesive power of public plunder," these various monopolies combine iu common defense, de-fense, employ tho best of legal talent und tho most adroit of malo and female lobbyists, ami liko tho devil fish, fasten their poisonous tenneles on tho body politic. Combinations of suffering classes protest, vole and squirm in vain. Endurance becomes a virtue aud monopolies rido rough-shod over their victims. What is the public going to do about it? At least something cau and ought to bo learned by experience. Tho public properly and franchises ro-muiuing ro-muiuing unalienated can bo more securely se-curely guarded, und grants of value can bo limited ' as to time iu their leasing. Cities of rapid growth should inako haste slowly in lightly parting with franchises growing grow-ing valuable with age. Salt Lako City might profit by taking these tilings into thoughtful consideration. All experience experi-ence goes to show that those cities w hich owu and improve their water, lightiug and transit rights get better service at much less cost than thoso which have parted with nucIi franchises in haste, only to repent at leisure. But if these valuable rights are leased to private parlies, let them bo sold for I he shortest time possible, and at public aucliou to tho highest bidder. |