The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1922-11-23
Beware Anarchy
Warns Governor
Louisiana Executive Points
Out Danger to Nation in
the Rise of Communism;
Urges Drastic Remedy.

Editors Note-From far south lou
isiana comes a voice of warning. Gov
ernor John NJ. Parker is an old-faSh.
toned American with old-fashioned and
high ideals. The world turmoil with
its vicious b~y-products has led him to
consider deeply what he declares to be
the greatest problem Of them all. His
conclusions are given herewith.
THE greatest problem America faces
today in it's struggle to return to nor
malcy is the problem of those who
would perpetuate license. They are a
vicious and ever present reality and all
that American gave her best blood for
would be lost if once the evil claws of
communism secure a hold upon the
nation.
Anarchy waits long, eagerly, unre-
lentingly for it's opportunity. The lull-
ing to a fancied security Of the great
body Of citizenship is as much to its
interests as the havoc it would wreck
once it had gained control. No nation
is too great to resist the slow eating
Of a canker in it's heart if that canker
is allowed to go on unchecked.
h enemies Of established things,
Of order and right living and decency
are never idle. The followers of the
upright things rest too well in the
shadow Of the past, too firm in the be-
lief hat right will prevail without as
s~istance from it's believers.
Orderly government, security of life,
sacredness of property-rights are no
longer revered safeguards of the mass
established Institutions, there is I'M
establisher institutions, there is I'M
rest that perils peace. We are aban-
doning safe foundations. The pyramid
of society seems to be turned upside
down and standing on its apex.
Ever since the close of the war, the
drift of the human current has been
away from normally. No satisfactory
worldwide tendency. The reason is
hardly to be found in the teachings of
the MaXian philosophers, or the nat
ural desire Of man for liberty of
thought and Unrestricted freedom of
action. Generally speaking, man has
been used to the restrictions of gov
eminent too Ions for him to wish to
permanently discard them now. And
anarchy carries a strong appeal only
to those races which have been en-
shaved.
But, whatever the causes, the fact
of the unrest exists. AS a great states
man once said, it is a condition and
not a theory that c%Onfronts US. We are
faced with a great evil and we must
find a positive cure. We must stop
this drift away from safe mornings,
which is based on false ideas of the
meaning of liberty and is stimulated
by tricky leadership.
Solution in this problem lies in the
patience, courage and determination
of that large element of the population
of the world which has not departed
from the teachings Of its fathers. The
part of civilization which is right must
struggle to make the balance of the
world right. 1t must be prepared to
battle for the peace and security that
go with orderly government, rather
than show a willingness to accept the
dangerous peace and elusive happiness
offered by the forces of disorder. 1t
must not purchase personal ease and
comfort at the expense Of the public
welfare. 1t must not sit down and
supinely let the current of communism
engulf the world. The hope of man
kind rests absolutely in the courage
II strength of purpose of those who
have s~teadfastly refused to follow false
political gods.
In America there have been frequent
warnings to disturb our rest. We have
had a false sense of security. Because
the specter of communism has not
spectacle, as it has in Russia, we have
been slow to recognize it. Prosperous,
well-fed, happy, %contented, self-satis-
fled, we have paid little heed to the
rumblings of the threatened volcano.
We Americans have a vanity really be
yond our We think our
government is ideal (Which is undis-
putable) and that there are no modern
Don Quixotes with the hardihood to as
sail it. Therefore, we have departed
from the advice Of Washington. We
are no longer vigilant. 1t is our idea,
unexpressed, that if a cataclysm comes
We will destroy it. And we haven't
the remotest fear that any cataclysm
will dare to attempt it.. To paraphrase
what has been widely said Of a we'll
known medicine, the cataclysm works
while America sleeps.
But the time is approaching, and is
very close at hand, when we must
awake from our Rip Van Wrinkle sleep
and meet this problem squarely. We
must stop the drift or it will continue
to expand, take US at the food tide
and engulf us. We must call upon
men to stand up and be counted. We
must know the friends Of order from
it's foes. We must uproot those selfish