Milford chronicle., 1920-11-12
GOVERNMENT BY LAW

Lovers of liberty and justice in the
United States will do will to ponder
the following declaration in an ad-
dress delivered by Calvin Coolidge,
Republican nominee for Vice Presi-
dent, during the recent campaign:
1.-THE observance of the law is
the greatest solvent of public ills.
Men speak of natural rights, but
L challenge anyone to show where
in nature any rights ever existed
or were recognized until there
was established for their declara-
tion and protection duly pro-
mulgated body of corresponding
laws"
No greater truth was ever express
ed nor one more worthy of considera-
tion at the present time. Among ma
tural rights are those specified by
the American Declaration of Inde-
pendence, life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness, yet none of these rights
is recognized or enjoyed in any land
unless government by law has been
established. Without government by
law, the weak are the prey of the
strong-there is no respect for per-
son or property. Where there is no
supremacy of law, the doctrine of
Robin Hood prevails, Let him take
who has the power; let him keep who
can"
Two men work side by side-men
of practically equal ability and re-
ceiving the same daily wage. One
saves a little from his compensation
while the other spends his all in sat
isfying his appetites. The one who |
saves invests his savings in a business |
of his own, buying tools, equipment, |
and finally erecting a shop which /
gradually expands into a large estab |
lishment giving employment to large |
numbers of men and adding to the
products available for the use of the
people. The one who saved and the
one who spent had equal opportunity.
The one who saved is a public bene-
factor; the one who spent his daily
earnings served chiefly himself. The
progress of the world has heen due
to work and saving-the accummula-
ton of a surplus which could be US
ed as a means of increasing produc-
ton and as a reserve upon which to
draw in time of scarcity.
But there would be no saving if
there were no government by law. One
would not save a portion of his earn I
ings if the spender we're permitted to
come by night and steal the accumu- {
lations. If there were no respect for |
rights declared by law, if the enjoy {
ment of the fruits of ones labors de- {
pended upon ability to defend savings 1
by physical strength, then this world
would still be in an age of darkness "a
and barbarism would prevail. Us
Natural rights are measured by the 70
judgment of men who happen to be IN ~
power. Just now Lenine and Trotsky Y
are determining the limit and extent G
of natural rights in Russia. They n
have decreed that occupation and use l.
of farming land shall change from
year to year-that the man who occu-
pies one farm this year shall use an -
other one next. The purpose is to es- =,
tablish equality in the enjoyment of :
land; but the obvious effect is to dis
every man from improving
the property he occupies. 1t induces
every man to make everything he can
out of the land while he is on it, leay-
ng it in a depleted condition at the n
md of his term of occupancy. That 1
way ruin lies. ,,s
There can be no enjoyment of life
liberty and pursuit Of happiness un-
ess there is orderly and dependaple Sf
protection of person and property un-
Ter definitely declared law. Govern CN
nent by men, such as we see IN Rus ~
ia, is not government at all; II is
narchy. There are hundreds OF
Lenines and Trotskys IN the aO
Inited States men who wouio at
empt to equalize by taking from SO
hose who save and giving to those "
hn roa is9nl0eS "
nd Trotskys have had much en-
from the present Demo-
ratio administration. They will get
very definite and unmistakable re-
uke from an administration that up 4
olds the policy indicated by Mr.. Cool
lge in the sentences quoted above.