The Washington herald., 1921-02-23
Campbell in House Speech
Arraigns Extension of
Bureaucracy.
CITES PRECEDENT
OF FRENCH TERROR
Says Government Tries to
Control Private Life
Of People.

Representative Campbell, OF Kan
sas. recognized as one Of the Re-
publican leaders of the House, chose
yesterday-the anniversary of the
birth Of washington-to pronounce
in no uncertain terms the growing
sentiment of the leadership of the
House in opposition to further eX-
tending. through bureaucratic con-
troll. activity of the government into
every phase of human life.
French Revolution.
I'VE have already departed from
the government of the fathers into
the same governmental activities
over the personal affairs of the peo-
pie that led to the greatest calam-
ity in human history-the French
revolution" Campbell declared.
His remarks bore unusual signi-
ficance by virtue of the fact that
he is chairman of the House Rules
Committee upon whom tremendous
pressure is being daily brought to
bear for action on three measures
extending government activity into
three new and distinct channels.
They are the Gronna bill for the
regulation Of the packing INDUSTRY.
the Sheppard-To bill for public
protection of infancy and maternity.
and the Smith Towner bill for the
creation of a Department of Educa
tion and other purposes.
Intent of Founders.
The intention of the founders Of
the government, Campbell pointed
out, was TO have as little govern
ment as possible. The modern ten
dency, he said, was TO have as much
government as possible with the
consequent endangering of the ira
ditional "individualism' of the
country.
1t would be difficult to enumer-
ate all the departments, bureaus and
commissions of the governments at
Washington that have been created
to exercise bureaucratic authority
and paternal guardianship over the
people in every part Of the repub-
lie" Campbell declared. There is
no activity. business, social or do
mestic condition that is not the OBJ
ject of their supervision, their soIic-
itude. or their authority.
Army Of Employees.
"Over 100000 civilian employees
make up the army that oversees
and directs the affairs of the people
and assumes guardianship over
them. Government agents and in
spectors, exercising every variety Of
authority, are found on every Pull
man out of and into Washington.
Government reports on every
subject from adenoids to rat traps
fill the files of offices that cover
acres of floor space in Washington.
The mahogany and quarter-sawed
oak office furniture already in
stalled mas cost many millions of
dollars and more is being constant
ly purchased.
Range of Activity.
IF a yearling dies of black-leg
on a farm in Kansas, the govern
ment at Washington acts on the
case. If a hog dies with cholera in
hog lot in Iowa, the government
at Washington takes charge. If a
weevil bores through a boil OF cot
NOh OH d lldhNdAlOh lSAdS Ant
government at Washington is
stirred TO action. Nothing escapes
the vigilant eye of the government
and Its innumerable functionaries.
IF the price of coal goes up let
the government take charge of the
seller; If the price of cattle goes
down, let the government take
charge of the buyer. And thus the
carnival of government activities
goes merrily on. Government con-
troll is the remedy for every ill and
government regulation the source of
every good.
"The people pay all the expenses.
In some instances they pay it all
through the government at Wash
ington. In the case of other activi-
ties they pay half through the gov
ernment at Washington and the
other half through the governments
of the States. But the people pay
all the expenses of this complicated
machinery of government. that has
its agents looking over the shoul-
ders CT every business man and di-
recting the affairs of every citizen.
This use of government is not
without deplorable precedent"