Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-03-15
Against Self Government.

The Washington correspondent OF The
Richmand Journal writes:
Representative Hay, Of Virginia, is
tired OF the tendency Of the times, to
enploy an already oyerworked phrase.
Be it known that Mr.. Hay is one of the
strongest democrats 10 opinion in the
House. democrat of the od-fashioned
type.
'I foresee the time, and ii is not so
very far away, either" he said today,
when the people OF this country will
demand that the gov rnment put the
food into their mouths. Yau needn't
laugh; am in earnest, continued Dir.
Hay, and there was not the trace OF II
smile on his cOuntenance. Anybody
can see that time is coming. Look at
this Congress. The peope--Or part OF
them, at any rate-are clamoriDg for so
many things according to the patrons OF
the bills introduced to accomplish such
variety OF objects.
"There are bills to give the govern
ment entire control Of life insurance.
'Bills to empower the government to
regulate all transportation charges.
'Bills to kill the boil weevil.
"Bills to kill the gypsy moth.
"BiIls to build good roads.
"Bllls to kill the fruit scale.
"Bills to pension everybody, who, by
hook or crook, can show the slightest
shadow of claim to the governments
bounty.
I'VE are rapidly forgetting that such
thing as an individual State exists.
We are looking to the national govern
ment for everything. Southern people
as well as northern people are going too
far in thi. matter
The protective tariff system is at the
root of The entire trouble.
"When people found that the govern
ment would help them to sell their
goods at higher price than they could
otherwise be sold at the trouble started.
ave enacted a tariff law shutting out
competition from all other countries.
This allowed the home producer to sell
his products at The price he could have
got before. with the amount of the tariff
added. They commenced to get rich
right away. Other people have seen all
that can be done for favored class by
the government, and they are clamoring
for assistance. They think the govern
ment can do everything for them, and
they are aski~g it to try. am OPP
posed 10 the government doing
for people that which they can 90 for
themselves. and | am opposed 20 the
federal government doing for the people
of this country that which the States
should do | abbor so much cenirali
zation of power. We used TO set our
faces against all that in the South. OP.
position to Capitalization was cardinal
tenet Of democracy. find we are drift
ting. And the protective policy OF this
country is responsible for it all.
ave must call a halt | am trying,
as all other Congressman are doing, to
do the beet can for the people of my
district But | believe in the old-fash-
oned doctrine of allowing the individual
States to have all the power consistent
with good government, and of allowing
the individual to do most things for
himself"
1t was plain that Mr.. Hay, who is one
of the most active representatives in
Congress in so far as looking out for
the Interests of his district is concerned,
was very much in earnest as he dwelt
upon the tendency OF the public to ask
of the national government legislation
which has hitherto been regarded by
men of both parties as within the ex-
elusive province OF the State legislature.