The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1921-07-08

ment, in the fullest sense; the indlvld-
ual has all of the power, and every
right, that he has not parted with IN
his grant to the government; such in
dividual rights as he has parted with
have been for the public good, and
thus he enjoys what the lawmakers call
civil liberty, as compared with the ma
tural liberty of the animal, that would
allow him to do what he wanted to IT.
respective of the rights of others.
S~ef-reliance is the key note to
A~mericanism. The American must be
a responsible, self-reliant citizen as the
Nation must be self-reliant and self
governed.
Our ~forefathers seemed inspired
when thew brought forth so bravely,
the new principle of a se~lf-goverened
nation: for today government by the
consent of the governed is the ac-
cepted form. in most Of the civilized
nations of the earth. All other nations
look to America as the great example,
and strive to initiate, in various ways,
but, America remains the greatest Of
them all. a shining star in the states
instituted among men, far beyond the
reach of imitators.
However to err is human; nothing
which man makes is perfect; as in
dividuals we are imperfect, and the
many imperfections in our application
TO government of the abstract rules
which we have laid down, fall far short
of what is ideal.
Briefly considered, that we may have
food for thought until the recurrence
of this day, a few of our imperfections
and departures from self-government
are:
The abuse of the law making power.
This is our chieftist and our greatest
fault and in this abuse we find the
farthest departure from ideal Amerl-
canism. We want legislation to re-
place reliance on ourselves and our
own intelligence-laws as a substitute
for education. Under the constitution
the people gave the law making power
to the legislative branch of govern
ment, yet in recent years bureaus nave
been established and have been nur-
tured, and flourish, until you will find
that there is hardly a branch of the
administration of government, that is
not hampered by rules and regulations
made by departments and bureaus
that have the same force as laws
enacted by congress, or by the differ
ent legislatures. These rules are for
the most part unnecessary n use-
less and give an autocratic power that
should find no root upon American
soil. Then too we have adopted the
English common law with regard to
presidents, that is the decisions of
Judges become laws, and in this way a
vast volume of legislation is done by
the courts, that should be abolished
Aside from these sources Of law, which
are unjustified and oppressive, we are
abusing our legislative powers. There
are forty-eight states each of which
has legislatures that pass from 100 t.
800 laws at every session; congress
adds to the volume so that it would b.
impossible for a man to read them al
in one life time, let alone obey or un
derstand them. This superabundanct
of law marks the very opposite
from the self-reliance of true Ameri
canism. This law making age will b'
the wonder of the future statesman
who will remark that we must have
been a simple, almost imbicile people
who had to have laws to teach then
what to eat and drink; a poor people
who we're an ignorant and barbarou
lot, where the lawmakers were oblige'
to make laws as to the heighth of tn
ladies heels, the length of their skirts
and the texture of their stockings, be
cause otherwise the poor things woul
shock the modesty of the men. w
look back at the age of Elizabeth a
lacking in culture; I can recall hearin.
a college professor speak with horro
of the tyranny of that reign which ha
royal edicts against the length o
toes on shoes, which he pronounce
an arbitrary infringement of persona
!, liberty. Yet in this enlightened ag
we are going much further. lndee
now instead of relying or argumen
and conviction of others any reforme
with one idea conducts his educationa
campaign by first getting a la,
passed and then trying to enforce i
Instead of having public opinion de
mand a law, these misled and ofte
paid agitators, now make the law re
quire the public opinion. Law enforce
| ment is the las. thing thought of; if
| law meets u tastes individually, W
obey it, if not we disregard it; few o
us can walk a city block without dis