The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1910-07-08
A GOVERNMENT OF L A W
AND NOT OF MEN.

Our revolutionary ancestors rebelled
against the government Of England,
because it wasinot a government Of law,
but was too much a government of men.
The foretathers who first settled our
country came in the main from England,
and they were familiar with the govern
ment from which they come, and had
imbbed the unrest and objections which
for centuries had existed among the peo-
pie Of England against the inequality, in
justice and oppression of the people.
This had led to innumerable conflicts
and rebellionS against the monarchy and
for reform of the government, and
finally eliminated in the beheading of
Charles the Ist, under the lead of Oliver
Cromwell, one Of the greatest men Eng
land, or the world has ever produced.
After the beheading of Charles the Ist,
who was not bad King nor bad man,
commonwealth was established, which
continued until the restoration Of Charles
the and to the throne. Charles the Ist.
was not beheaded so much because he
was the King, but rather as a protest OF
the enraged people against the in
Justice and oppression of personal gov
eminent under the appointees of the
King. Charles the Ist was rather pop
ular for his many kindly traits of char
acter. He was a moral and religious
man, and was upright and honest, but he
fell victim to vicious system Of gov
eminent
He was victim of his environments,
which he was not strong enough to
break through, and not wise enough to
reform.
He followed the customs of the Kings
who had preceded him, and was so
welded to them that he could not see
the need of reforms that were necessary
to protect the people from oppression.
1t was this experience of our ancestors
under which they rebelled and establish
ed our Constitution and representative
form OF government. Their first and
highest object was to form a government
of laws as distinguished from a govern
ment of men,.
1t was the product Of great wisdom
and long and bitter experience, and it
was justly designed to become the
admiration and wonder of the world. Up
to the beginning of the Civil War we
adhered closely to the form of govern
ment established by our forefathers, but
since the war we have made a wide de-
parture and are rapidly going farther
and farther away from the ancient land
marks that they had established. A
government of law is simple, equal and
just. A government of men complicated,
unequal and most liable to be unjust.
A government of law establishes a rule
for all, and fixes the rights of all, and all
are equal before the law
A government of men is utterly un-
certain, because If is dependent entirely
upon the intentions or wishes of indi-
viduals.
1t has been we'll and truly said that the
"least government is the best govern
ment." That is safe rule for any
people.
Strictly speaking, the functions of good
government consists OF two things-to
preserve the public peace and to protect
the public health.
When a government goes beyond these
limits it gets into complications and the
rights of the people are in danger.
This country is now in danger because
the government has its hand in almost
everything that pertains to the business,
not only of the government, but that of
the people as well.
1t has its agents engaged in the bank
ing business, in the railroad business,
and in making laws to regulate the
profits that certain classes of the people
may make.
It is creating boards and commissions
to adjust the private business OF the peo-
pie in every direction. The people are
met in all directions by some agent of
the government.
So that almost every taxpayer is carry
ing on his back some government em-
ployee. We evidently have too much /
personal government and all OF the evils
hat il entails.
The last Congress has added several |
new agencies to increase the appointees
md the expenses.
This makes it liable to all sorts of
graft and greed, and we are
suffering from all these sources as no