Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1922-02-17

Washington Is stirred to action Nothing escapes
the yigilant eye Of the government and Its innum-
cradle functionaries. II the price OF one article
goes up, let the government take charge of the
seller; II the price Of another goes down, let the
government take charge Of the buyer. And thus
the carnival of government activities goes mer-
ry on. Government control is the remedy Tor
every Ill., and government regulation the source
Of every good.
The people pay all the expenses. In some In
stances they pay it all through the government ut
Washington In the case Of other activities they
pay half through the government at Washington
and the other half through the governments OF the
states But the people pay all the expenses of this
complicated machinery of government. that mas
Its agents looking over the shoulders of every busl-
ness man and directing affairs of every citizen.
The fathers embodied with rare wisdom those
elements of strength and endurance which were
essential If the government was to be perpetuated
through the ages. They avoided with the fore
sight of statesmen the things that lead to dlsap-
pointment and discomfort among the people. Inc
fathers studied the experience of mankind In SELF
government. They studied the lessons and pro1teu
by the teachings Of history. They sought ana
found the causes of failure by other peoples In the
experiment of selfgovernment. They did not
wander into the realms of fancy They were Gre
atlng a government for human beings whose ma
ture has remained the same through all the cen
turtles of time They knew that the things that
In other ages had invited criticism, PROVOKED us
content and resulted In disappointment ana reVo-
linton would lead to the same end in future ages
They therefore created government adapteu 10
the nature Of man, a simple government OF laws TO
be enacted and enforced by the chosen representa-
tyes of free people, The purpose of the govern
t,, them In their natural rlRltS
and N enable them to meet their national ana
international duties and obligations. It's powers
were limited.
The fathers did not contemplate at any time
under the Constitution they gave us government
nv men. 1t was not In the scheme Of the fathers
that nj any time the people should be beguiled
into using the government at Washington Tor
supervising or directing their purely personal To-
cal and domestic affairs. They knew that IN
government of free people no man Is big enough
or wise enough or good enough to command an
other, his political equal, In what ne may or may
not do. 1t is fundamental that free people may
not be expected long to endure the annoyances' the
yexations, the arbitrary regulations, the restric'
lions. or the dsappointments that are incident 10
government by men acting as the functonarles vi
central authority, directing the aHairs Oh anu
exercising police powers over the people III 'ie
remotest parts of their territorial limits. Even
the assurances Of government bureaus that the
authority exercised over the liberty OF the cti'
gems is for his own good will not long beguie the
citizen into surrender of his right to live under
government Of laws enacted by his authority and
consent that merely protect him from injury by
others and protect others from injury by him.
There Is no word in the discussion by the faith
ers of the powers and duties of the government
they have handed down to us that leads to the
belief that 1t was contemplated In their plan that
the head of any department or the chief of any
bureau or the agent of any commission should at
any time make restrictions or arbitrary regula.
tions affecting the life. liberty, property, or the
pursuit Of happiness Of the citizen. Such restric-
lions upon the individual as were contemplated