River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1922-02-16

were to be made only by the states and the lesser
political subdivisions having immediate jurisdic-
ton, and then only by the plain terms of statutes
enacted by the representatives of the people. The
rapidly gro.,ng and alarming tendency today IS
toward Capitalization Of all authority and power
incident to COY eminent in Washington.
We have already ignored the admonition of the
fathers; we have defed the laws of human nature.
which have never changed; we have overlooked
the lessons of history. All these have admonshed
us that only governments of simple laws can prop
erly serve or long endure in country of free peo-
pie. We have already been led by the deusion
that government bureaus, exercising bureaucratic
authority and police power, not authorized by the
terms implied by the provisions Of the Con.
stitution, better for the people than govern
ment of plain statutes We have been lured by
the promise that government agents would lead
the citizen by the hand into green pastures, be-
side still waters into elysian fields then on into
the millennium Already the citizen looks about
him and finds himself in the midst of fools
paradise, entirely surrounded by government bu-
reaus. So many Of the numerous bureaus of
the government exercising bureaucratic au-
thority and police power. that they meet the
citizen everywhere he turns-in his fields. in his
mills. in his mines, in his shops in his factories,
in his places of business, great and small--every-
where substituting the will and judgment Of
government agent for the will and judgment of the
individual citizen. No matter in what direction
the citizen may turn, 10, the agent of the govern
ment Is there TO forbid or to command. Instead
of remaining his protector the government has
become his guardian.
There are many matters that require more than
individual attention, matters in which cooperation
is not only desirable but necessary In all such
matters the smaller political subdivisions and the
states should be resorted to. In that way the
portion of the public directly concerned are able
to observe and intelligently determine whether
hoe IN
things they require are rendering a service that
justi6es the continuance of the activity and the
expense involved il carrying II on. 1t is pro-
found truth that that government is best that
governs least
The government of the United States is Of SO
great national and internationI Importance to our
people unto the femotest township and ham
let of the republic that its place in their affections
should not be imperiled, nor should it be made
the object of common criticism for failure to do for
the citizen what the citizen alone can do for him.
self. A solemn responsibility and great duty
Immediately confront us here. We are the chosen
representatives of the American people sworn 70
protect and defend the Constitution against all en-
emies, foreign and domestic. 1t is time to begin
the process of reestablishing government of laws
under the Constitution. II is time to limit the
activities and reduce the expenses of government
at Washington. (Applause.) The process of elm
mating every element Of weakness with which the
make it the object of criticism should be gradual
but persistent, until we can again look upon IL
as the simple government OF laws given us by the
fathers for the purpose Of guaranteeing life lib
erty property, and the pursuit Of ppness of the
people with the hope that our children and thes-
children from generation to generation may have
in the centuries rs they come and go the same
guarantees and the same opportunities that we
and our ancestors have enjoyed under the Con
stifufion nf the United states. lApplauhe.l