The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-02-07
SIMPLICITY ~ GoyINNMENT.


Tho most durable satisfactory and least an
noying mechanical contrivaucc is that which Is
Simplest in i,s makeup And the rule i- rs true
Of government as OF mechanics
ours was originally the simplest govornmont
IL was possible to design Nothing complex about
II at all Three coordinate department to
mako laws 20 construo laws aud to administer
laws. There was laid on tho citizen respous.
brtles which, II discharged rendered this
scheme perfect,
But, observe the completely which has grown
up--vcry largely, too. because Of the false idea
that change necessary through growth ana
that special boards, commissions ana bureaus
could and would add to the efficiency Of govern.
mcnt. SO far as spccial-lntcrcst seekers were
concerned, yes; but most decidedly no from the
standpoint OF tho great body OF citizenship.
1t is amusing to hear the various rcrormcrs
pratc volubiy OF tho changes made necessary
through the growth and expansion Of the ma
ton: or because OF the Inventions OF civiliza-
iion. The world has been swinging through
space so many thousands Of years that no
can precisely state them. And from the first
moment OF its existence to the present second
not a natural law has been changed, no new rule
governing it's physics or It's people enacted.
great causlst thousands OF years ago. And yet,
back thoro In the morning OF creation, certain
laws governing man--thc laws OF reproduction
and the basic and controlling passions OF the
mind---wero established and have not been
changed a hairbreadth since. nor will they bc so
long time cnduros
What n mess roformcrs would have made OF
physics and metaphysics II they could have got
at theml
Tho full possibilities OF human relations
from the standpoint OF government. were
plored time and again during the Athenian age,
and while Rome was rising rcigning and fail
ing. And tho busybodies who are nssaillng con.
stantly troubled drums prato OF the new
things they have discovered.
As general proposition. no Legislature
should consider seriously any law that requires
the creation OF a separate body. court com
mission for it's enforcement. And no legislature
should consider for a moment delegating discrc
tionary authority TO any board. commission or
court in unlimited quantities.
The proposed state censorship board is
case directly in point. II may be argued, with
some reason. that the exhibition of certain NOV
ing pictures should be barred, for instance,
those put on by so-called reformed bandits. out
laws etc. But IL 80, then the law should be
specific and Its violations left to the established
courts. precisely tho same AS are laws punish
Ing the murderer, the citizen who commits ar
son. larceny or any Of the other violations OF
the penal code.
To create n state censorship for the purpose
OF passing on pictures and proposed entertain
ments arbitrarily is TO violate the very spirit of
the American constitution and rc-es,absh the
viewpoint of feudnl days The natural and log
ical consequence Of such law would be instant
repeal OF all penal laws and the creation OF
board on good citizenship--to arbitrarily decide
what constitutes good citizenship and what bad.
or course. It is ahsurdly absurd!