The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-02-24

that by this time the work of restor-
ing powers best exercised by local
units would now be in full swing and
that progress would already be re-
corded in wrestling from general adj
ministrators dubious functions already
bestowed upon them. To recover
what has previously been surrendered
will be difficult task requiring a
long time, even with the support of a
strong public sentiment. But it might
at least be eXpected--so plain are the
tacts and SO little disguised is the
danger to which they point--that
some retardation might by this date
be apparent in the incessant transfer
of still further duties from nearby
authority to far-off authority. Has,
however, such retardation been mani
fest? Has there even been any les
SEEMING in the vociferous clamor for
new surrenders making the far-off au-
thority a participant in any and all
matters of exclusively local concern?
There has, of course, been nothing
Of the sort. On the contrary, the
year that has elapsed since the for
mer Lowden utterance on inevitable
consequences of the tendency attract
ed nation wide attention has been
more productive than most past years
of new expansions in the exaggerated
federalism of which he speaks. In the !
field of education, of specific forms of |
welfare effort, Of general social bet
terments, new measures have enlarged |
federal activities in important degree
One of the latest proposals looks to
federal responsibility for the disgrace
full lynching evil. If the Ex-Governor
thought there was an Overplus of data
iustifying his former utterance, the
year put a great volume of additional
data behind his latest utterance.
= AS a whole, these new measures
the most benefcent ends.
Some of them are aimed at great
evils. If there was any certainty that
hey could accomplish what they are
to accomplish, they might be
untitled to approval. But, as we have
seen so often in the past, federal CO.
operation does not necessarily mean a
solution for any particular problem it
nay engage. Very often it means
,nly multiplicity and confusion in the
agencies seeking a solution. One can
hardly have the inclination to oppose
;ome of these new measures and new
taken singly. Taken to-
yether, however, they have effects
ending, as Mr.. Eowden says, to fab
,iness in the individuals sense of his
responsibilities and this
labbiness in individual sense to a
ack of that vigorous public opinion
n the collective citizenship, without
which no republic can endure"
A time when all citizens will be d.
,ided into two classes, those who hold
,ffice and those who do not, the form
n a minority, but so strong a minor
ty as to indicate the policies affecting
heir own interests, is pictured by Mr..
1owden. With overmanned state Of
ices, where many appointees dupli-
ate the work done by the city ap-
and overmanned federal Of
ices, where thousands of appointees
10 nothing but duplicate the work of
tate and city offices, the picture does
lot seem so fantastic.
That we have 100 per cent Fed
raj Government is vital, but it is also
'ital that we have 100 per cent states.
f we cannot all agree as to the pre-
Use point when state ceases to be
90 per cent, almost everyone would
re able to recognize 40 per cent or /
60 per cent or rs per cent state.
70 vizualize a state that had ceased :
o be more than IS per cent of state
nd all the consequences of that and
lower statehood percentages would
e an unpleasant sight. We may be- +
eve the resulting impulse to restora- +
ion to full 100 per cent would be al f
lost unanimous.-GlObe-D Democrat. :