Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-12-23
x1xsER THE ASSOCIATED PRE0
Tuesday, December q, 1919.
"IIi fares the land, to Fastening ills a
prey,
Where wealth aeeumulatss and men
decay"
Ware the Trend

Ware the Trend
1T is doubtful if 50 small COM
nunity ever made so large an inn
press upon government as have the
Pilkrim FAthers." Such was the in
PRODUCTION Of the address Of Governor
I4ovden Of Illinois at the New Eng
land Society Forefathers' dinner at
New York Monday evening.
We regret that space cannot be
found for printing it in full. Govern
or Lowden not only was felicitous In
his conception of the principles I'M
derlying the development Of that
movement but also in his applications
to present day problems.
The Pilgrims were free to form
such government as they wished.
AZ first the land and all things
weU held in common. 1t was indeed
a Iny socialistic community they
founded. If ever, anywhere, all
things conspired to make a COM
munistic state a success. it was at
Plymouth Rock But in less than
four years the Pilgrim Fathers found
that this idealistic form of society
was not suited to their work-a-day
world
The words OF William Bradford are
quoted:
And for mems wives to be COM
manded to doe service for other men,
as dressing their meate, washing their
cloaths, etc. they deemed 1t a kind OF
slaverie. neither could many hus-
bands well brooke it,"
While many Of our people," said
Governor Lowden. evidently have
forgotten this lesson taught by the
Pilgrims, Lenine and Trotsky must
have had it in mind when they pro-
vided for the naturalization OF wo-
men. They foresaw that as long as
the institution Of the home was rec
oxnDed, and its integrity protected,
men could not be content with COM
mon ownership Of property. And so
with ruthless logic they sought to de-
struy the home"
The Pilgrims found it necessary in
their scheme Of government to re-
ward merit. And notwithstanding the
undoubted excellence Of their meth
DDS Of town meeting it must not be
forgotten that in less than 20 years
they were obliged to resort to repre-
sentative government as well.
Perhaps the distinguishing quality
Of the people of New England in CO.
lonial days was their capacity to set
up local self government and make it
work. No town was con-
tent unless it was capable of main
tanning a separate existence 1t was
this sturdy reliance of the people in
the several~communities upon self
that made it possible to form self
governing states. Without the indiv-
idual restraint which this system of
local government had taught, it
would have been impossible, later, for
the states to form themselves into "a
more perfect union"
Here Governor Lowden sees a good
work to be preserved; rather a capa-
city which must not perish from dis
use. He says:
Successful self government in
even the smallest political unit is the
only guaranty Of successful self-gov-
eminent in a great country such as
ours. There are many evidences that
this type of government is breaking
down in America. More and more
frequently. the village, the town, the
city, finds that it cannot maintain
order without outside help. This is
enc of the gravest symptoms of the
times" No self governing
country was ever yet ruled success
fully by force Of arms. The
primary duty Of every political divi-
sion, no matter how small. is to keep
its own house in order. Men are too
prone, in these days, when disorder
threatens, to call for soldiers Sol
diers will always be needed and must
be used, il they are the only means
10 maintain the law. For, at what
ever cost, the law must remain su-
preme. In every nation. there mpst
he someone or some thing supreme
10 whom or to which all must yield
obedience. In an empire. it is en-
peror. In kingdom, it is king In
a republic. the only majesty is the
majesty of the law. Whoever does
violence to the law is laying profane
hands upon the sovereignty of the
people. Let it be remembered, how
ever, that every time outside force, in
any community, is employed. it is a
confession Of weakness in the foun-
dations. in fact, Of our institutions,
The municipality must learn to gov
ern itself when lawlessness appears"
THE trend is now towards
the absorption by the State Of the
functions Of the municipality, and the
absorption by the general govern
ment of the proper functions of the
State. This trend towards central
ization Of all authority and power in
Washington strikes at the very foun-
dation of our government. A coun-
try Of the extent Of ours possibly
may be governed in all its details as
an empire from a central capital,
but not as a republic"
Japan has now to deal with labor
unrest and bucketshops and a grow