The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-07-11
GOVERNED TOO MUCH.

The celebration of the centennial of
Admiral Oliver Hazard Perry was begun
this year on the Fourth of July at Put,
Inlay on Lake Erie. The special pres
emf interest in that celebration was the
appearance of Colonel Henry Waiter
son, the veteran editor of the Louis
vile Courier-J ournal, who stated that
this would be his final appearance on
the lecture platform; so that his ut
terances on that occasion. aside from
his review OF the great victory of Ad-
miral Perry on Lake Erie, may be con
sidered as his last word to the people
of the United States spoken publicly.
This, of course, has no reference to his
editorial writing, which will continue
as heretofore.
Colonel Watterson took for his sub
ject, "A Peril Menacing the Future
of the Republic. This peril, we judge
from the reports of his lecture, he con-
sders to be tendency toward over
States and by Congress. lie went back
to the Jeffersonian maxim that "The
people that is least governed, is best
governed" which is surely a good
basis for lecture, and has been for
a hundred years a good basis for Ma
tional action. But it is basis thai
we have departed from altogether, ap-
parently, for the maxim that the more
we legislate, the better we are off
In enforcing his point, Colonel Wat
terson said, 'Who that is thoughtful
can deny that we are in fact threat
ened with government by hysteria,
displaying its excess on one hand by
the vainglorious assertion of our puis-
sance, on the other hand extending its
humanity through the exploitation of
visionary schemes of impossible relief. -
Developing the theme, Colonel Wat
terson urged that under the guise of
reform we are in fact robbing ourselves
Of our freedom by striving to regulate
everything by statute rather than by
the careful cultivation of a healthy
moral community sentiment and by a
manhood which stands for equal
chances for the indidivual and for the
betterment of the community. The
people of this country are tyrannizing
over themselves; they are enslaving
themselves to petty rules and regula
tions. The "new freedom - is not free
dom at all, it is bondage. No doubt
those who are in favor of management
by hysteria and strenuosity will con-
slider the sort of talk that Colonel
Watterson indulged in to be reaction.
fossil, speaking out Of his time and
trying to get the people back into
paths that they have forsaken. For, it
is true enough that the people have
forsaken to a large degree those old
paths of safety. They are wandering
in maze Of uncertainty now, and are
accepting anything that is proposed in
the name Of progress and reform, as
true progress and reform; and yet it
would seem as though true progress
would require to have to put on the
brakes for time, lest we run down
.he bill too fast and smash the wagon
and scatter the load.
Colonel Watterson said: eve have
rot been SO well governed that we may
,ot be better governed. But I would
summon reform through reason, not |
emotion. / would have regeneration
'ome through growth, not spasm," " And
sure it is that his words were words |
If sanity and sense; words that ought |
% be taken close to heart by the Amer |
can people, who seem bent upon fol
owing the paths of the hysterical |
latin peoples of this hemisphere, which |
cad into bitter strife and unending
.haos, instead of getting upon the high
way of political righteousness and
oeace.