New-York tribune., 1920-06-22
Hughes Scores
Nations Trend
To Autocracy
War Powers Exercised Af-
ter Military Exigency
Passed, He Says in Har-
ward Centenary Address
Liberty Is Disregarded
Doubts Constitutional Gov
ernment Gould Sur
vive Another Conflict

/ -
Charles E. Hughes, speaking at the
centenary of Harvard Law School here
to-day, declared that ain the art of
governing ourselves we not only fall
short of what we should expect in a
free people of so great intelligence
but we frequently present a sorry
spectacle" His subject was Some
Observations on Legal Education and
Democratic Progress"
"A passion for legislation is not a
sign of democratic progress" he said !;
and in the mass of measures intro
duced in the Legislatures of our free
commonwealths there is too little evil
dence of perspective and an abundance
Of elaborate and dreary utilities. Oc-
caslonally constructive measure of
great benefit is skillfully planned, but
we are constantly impressed with the
lost motion and the vast waste in the
endeavor of democracy to function
wisely.
Fed Autocratic Appetite
AHN iS6iclIdD.c tHluS, MI. 1uSne s
continued, 'is that the tendency to
enact uncertain laws seems to be in
creaslng and, what is still worse, that
the people tolerate it and that there
are but faint demands for improve
ment. Our material progress seems to
have created complexities beyond our
political competency, and disreGarding
the lessons of history, there has been
disposition to revert to the methods
OF tyranny in order to meet the prob
lens OF democracy. Intent on some
immediate exigency and with slight
consideration Of larger issues, we crc
ate autocratic power by giving admin
lstratlvc officials who can threaten in
dlctment the opportunities of criminal
statutes without any appropriate def
milton of crime.
1--WE went to war for liberty and de-
mocracy. with the result that we fed
the autocratic appetite, and, through o
fiction permissible only because the
courts cannot know what every one
else knows, we have seen the war
powers, which are essential to the
preservation of the nation in time of
war, exercised broadly after the mill
tary exigency had passed and in condi-
tions for which they were never in
tended, and we may we'll wonder. in
view Of the precedents now established,
whether constitutional government, as
heretofore maintained in this Repub-
lie, could survive another great war
even VIGOROUSLY waged.
Apart from these conditions we
cannot afford to ignore the indications
that, perhaps to an extent unparalleled
in our history, the essentials of lib
erty are being disrcgarded. Very re-
,,,fO ;o, 1o;I
responsible citizens at the bar of pub
lie opinion Of violations of personal
rights which SAVIOR of the worst prac-
tices of tyranny. And in the conduct
of trials before the courts we find a
growing tendency on the part of prose-
cutors to resort to grossly unfair
practices
Present Methods Crude
Mr. Hughes declared that "if ad-
ministrative action is fettered by
Legislature, if necessary departments
are controlled by the constant review
Of all controversies as to facts by
ordinary courts Of justice primarily
adapted to other needs, the oppor-
tunities for impeding litigation will
leave vast activities to the mercy of
the cunning, selfish and avaricious and
the means designed for protection will
defeat their own purpose. On the
other hand, present methods are Oh
viously crude and tend to an intoler-
able personal government
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass, June 21.-
The honorary degree Of Doctor of
Laws was conferred on General John
J. Pershing, Rear Admiral William S.
Sims and Franklin X. Lane, former r
Secretary Of the Interior, at the COM
mencement exercises at Williams
College to-day. Degrees were con-
ferred upon 124 members Of the
graduating class.
General Pershing was late in roach
ing Williamstown and the exercises
had had begun when he arrived. AS he
appeared on the stage, he was loud
ly applauded and was given rising
cheer He shook hands with Admiral
Sims, who arrived in Williamstown
late last night Both the General and
the Admiral showed interest in the
valedctory address of Ralph Smith
Munger, who took for his subject "a
Soldiers Bonus" in which he opposed
the granting of bonus by Congress-
Hoover Given Degree
honorary degree of Doctor of Science e
was conferred on Herbert c. Hoover
and that of Doctor of Letters on El-
lery Sedgwick, editor of The Atlantic
Monthly" and Margaret Deland,
author. at Tufts College commonce-
ment exercises to-day. Diplomas we're
awarded 227 students in all depart
ments.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. June 2l.-A
memorial service for the late Richard
C. MacLaurn, under whose presidency
the Massachusetts Institute of Tech
nology obtained it's present site and
largo endowment. was the principal
event at the opening of the Alumni
Association reunion to-day. Tie re-
union, the first since 1916, because of
tho war, will continue through Thurs
day.
Italian Workers Demand