The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-16

Of happiness a Jest and by-word.
Thinking people will at all times
recognize that "a representative de-
mocracy must be progressive and re-
sponstve to the expanding thought
and developing IDEAS OF its ultimate
constituency. but great responsible
ity rests upon the educated and re-
fecting classes 10 conserve and pro-
tect the essentials OF our government
which are known and have been
proven to be necessary to preserve
those things which will guard our ma
ton against the horrors of antocracyi
as we'll as the terrors OF Bolshevism.
The war has probably laid al rest
for all time TO come the dangers that
threaten from the exercise of arbi-
trary power concentrated in the form
OF governmental authority. The
world has been made safe for de-
mocracy. But has it been made safe
from democracy? How many crimes
are committed in its name7 In the
market places hia sphemers cry aloud:
Have we not prophised in Thy
name -
Two Extremes.
These are two extremes which
have challenged the existence of ma
tons since ~he time when organized
NIT the progress of civilization. and
doubtless the tine viii never come
when the burden and responsibility OF
such guardianship will be removed
from the shoulders Of clear thinking
| men and women, who fee, responsible
! for the happenings of the human race
| and who believe In keeping open the
| doors of opportunity.
/ Just now, this responsibility is pc
! culiarly appealing to mem bers OF our
/ profession. Under pressure of ire
mendous enterprise. our government
| has been called upon to use the war
/ powers of the constitution in order
! that its existence might be measured
! by its exercise Of autocratic pow -
| ers, il you please-~but, under the con =
| troll of wise and patriotic represen-
| tatives 1t vii be relinquished, for the
necessity OF their use will have passed
, away. The surgeons knife is not an
| instrument to be used every day as
| its more humble companion at the
| dining table, yet when the vermiform
| appendix begins to struggle for a
| place in the sun and demands the
right Of self determination. regardless
| Of its coordination with the rest of
la he'd A,it rTla.a 4 -hecnra IS
n handy and appropriate remedy.
These, drastic remedies were neccs-
sarY in order that this nation should
/ have every vital force of its body pol
! itie unhindered TO aid in carrying for
ward the great conclusion that was
then in its accomplishment They are
no longer necessary and II continued,
would tend to build up some other
form of tyranny. Many OF the laws of
the character mentioned were in
tended TO repress the evils of unre-
J IN. I,
purpose of meeting emergency and eX-
tremc cases. such laws cannot be per-
manentIN effective The remedy must
finally he found in the training and
education Of our own people 10 the
end tina they may have "A just appre-
citation of the principles upon which
this government rests. Our people
must be taught TO realize the fact
that there is no proper development,
either in government or in other at
fairs, that may not he adequately
provided for by laws adopted within
the terms of our constitution. and
any progress that is made must go
forward in orderly procedure by the
enactment OF constitutional laws
Observance OF Law.
The observance of law is the nrst
duty that the individual owes to or
ganized society Failure 10 perform
this duty is distinct peril to any form
of government, to democracy II is
certain death. Changes in the law
may come and properly should come
in order to meet the varying phases
of our developing social fabric, but
when insidious propaganda is abroad
in the land, the purpose of which is
to undermine the fundamentals upon
which the greatness of this nation has
been builded, a high call for service on
the part Of our profession is demanded
in order that the clamor of false
prophets may fall upon ears indif-
ferent to such teaching.
In these reconstruction times, a
solemn duty rests upon the bar OF
this country 10 see 10 It that tho rank
and file of our nation are not misled
by people who seek notoriety and
power by doing away with this or that
limitation of authority which comes
some imagined millennium which Is
promised and by by which lazy folk
or wicked folk expect to get som thing
for nothing,
I'VE must not forget that this coun-
try is an inviting field to exploit all
of the vagaries now being advanced
for handling human society from the
philosophic anarchism of the intel
lectuals to the dynamite and torch
philosophy of the |. w. W. We must
that in the earlier days Of
the republic we held this country open
as an asylum for the oppressed OF all
nations. This invitation was accepted
in good faith, ana millions Of sturdy
people Joined their fortunes with ours
for the reason that this beckontng