Manchester Democrat., 1910-01-12
THE DEMOCRATIC OPPORTUNITY,
BY President woodrow Wilson of
Princeton University.

| ~>t~s@ t''osot aiaa litAy pG oaiA oy sACao-
on of its peculiar politics to have al
lied itself with something less than
the nation as whole The Demo.
cratic party. on the other hand, is
free from entanglements and is at
liberty to choose policies suited to
national conditions as whole and
to all the new aspects of politics
which have revealed themselves in
recent years., 1t is free to make a
program for the general good, II it
will, with perfect candor and sim
plicity.
1t should do this without allowing
itself to embarrassed by old formulas.
Most of the old formulas of our poll
tics are worn thread-bare and have
lest their significance, having been
formulated for another age which had
other and very different questions to
settle, and which settled them with
a sincerity which we can initiate on
ly by translating our principles into
new forms and statements.
Take for example, the old formulas
with regard to strict construction and
the old ideal of "as little govern
ment as possible" The indisputable
fact is that the Federal Government
has in recent years been launched in
to many fields of activity even the
existence Of which previous genera
tons did not foresee. We should not
now stop to be pedantic about the
way in which we shall construe the
fundamental law of our Government
or attempt the impossible task of
| forcing its present activities into
the framework of old statements.
We should seek the best construc-
tion. should direct the activities of
the Federal Government toward the
objects which clearly lie within its
province by means which we are con-
vinced to be just and efficient.
Separate Power Of States.
| 1t was inevitable, in our changed
conditions, that the Federal Govern
| ment should come out into many
| new fields of power. for one, am
very Jealous for the maintenance of
| the separate powers and authority of
the individual States of the Union.
But Il is no longer possible with the
modern combinations of industry and
interests of the several States as
they could once be Disseminated. In.
tere sts once local and separate have
become unified and national. They
must be treated upon national
scale, in,a national spirit, and by the
national Government. The Federal
Government must, if possible. be kept
to its old temper Of restraint and
carefully studied constitutional right.
but il cannot be kept to little field,
when the field is in fact great and
must lie occupied by some common a,
thority. Our principles are not new,
but the forms in which we should
express them must of necessity be
new. They are SO novel, indeed, as
often to make the principles them
selves bear an appearance of radical
novelty. There should be no limi-
tation of the functions of the Fed
eral Government by number, but
only limitation by carefully consider
ed principle and carefully adopted
instrumentalities of action.
The Democratic party has always
stood for careful restraint of the
powers af government, and the posi-.
ton am advocating is not In de-
.ogation of its ancient principles in
this matter. But it should, when
ever national action is necessary be
shy. not of governmental power, but
of its organization in the wrong way
and its use to the wrong ends. The
debates of our coming campaigns
must center upon the means we are
to use in accomplishing ends which
| the whole country sees that it is
necessary to accomplish. There are
Democratic means which we can con-
;cientiously and earnestly advocate,
and there are radically undemocratic
means which we should oppose with
every ardor and power that is in lis.
II Development of National Life.
| undemocratic methods and means
are those which serve the interests of
parties or groups of men and which
ignore the general interest and the
essential rights and opportunities and
responsibilities of individuals. The
Democratic principle is that govern
ment should study not only regula-
ton but individual liberty and indi-
gidual responsibility and that no reg
ulation incompatible with the freedom
and development of the individual is
lk.