The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-08-17
\ GROWING MiSCONCIpTIoN


a defender Of the prohbitory law IN a con.
trbuuon 10 The world uya. 81 hopo Uncle
sam vii give hts children what they need. not
what thoy want"
Therein is tho miaconccpton which Is speed
lly transforming this government or ours into
thing az different from the conceptions Of It's
founders az day is from night; into "A thing that
is dospi9cd n not hated. We are not speaking
to the subject Of prohibition but to a doctrine
OF political economy
In its every word. form or theory tho CON
stitution OF the United States was designed TO
result In government "of the people. for tho
people by the people Contrary to the almost
uivcrsnl conception. 1t was not. is not and never
can bc unless unbelievable distortion occurs
something separate and apart from the citizen
himself. The government OF the United states
is incapable. properly. Of having any ambition
OF isolf, any authority beyond tho clear dclega-
ton or authority set forth IN the constitution
any purpose, ideas or conceptions other than
is given 1t by the interests and ambitions of tho
citizens supporting It.
II is not an animate thing. u is inanimate
Therefore to speak of It as an entity separate
and apart from the citizenship 1t scrvoa to see
IN It thing ot greater wisdom than the indi-
vidual citizen, knowing better what Ia for the
Eopu OF inN 'lilNtu thHn inc CltlHNn nlmSCf tS
an nbsurdiy and a contradiction that It is dif-
ficult for a free and Independent mind to con-
template with cquanimity.
Such view Is the view OF the patcruallst-an
unthnkng, unrcasonIns patcrnaltst one who
manlfcsty wants n despot and believes that
there Is an intangible, undctablc something
which transforms tho citizen and makes him a
near god tho moment he ia called from the
walks OF private life TO occupy a position in tho
public service.
The conceptions OF government few hundred
years ago. based on tho only prncticed forms oc
government at that time, contemplated tho
state as something vastly superior ana very
much separated from tho individual citizen, his
rights. his Interests and his ambitions. The
! citl2cn was a pawn without clearly defined
! rights. lie owed everything to tho atatc. In
! our own form Of government an this ls rovcrscI
! Tho state owes everything 20 the citizen and
| posscsrs no rights within iscIr save those
which the cit1cn delegated It In a written con-
stitutloH. Tho state may properly have no other
| purpoeo than 10 servo tho citizenship arcordins
| to tho provisions or that written constitution
| which was designed to prevent the state from
} over becoming oppressive, patcrualstic or arts.
! tocratc.
Tho idea ~ our correspondent hnrmoulzc,
! perfectly with tho ancient practices or govern.
mcut, she would have made a humble and
most abjcct subject for King George III. Had
! the original colonists hccn mndc " auch weak
! material ,hcrc would never hayc been an Au,or.
can commonwealth consocratcd 90 human uh.
crv and devoted to popular government
Tho World has stood opposed 20 the prohlh
! tory law not because of tho liquor % denies tho
! citizen, hut hccausc of tho y'olltvo Invasion d,
makes of the citizens right under tho ,oustjtu.
! uon. It s perfectly easy Co arrro with the pro-
/ hihluoujsts that tho liquor traffic was nancful
! and harmful among those who drank to c>ccss,
even that it would he better n ii were abolished