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

Washington is stirred to action. Nothing escapes
the vgilant eye of the government and its innum-
cradle functionaries. If the price of one article
goes up, let the government take charge OF the
seller; If 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 at
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 TINS
complicated machinery of government, that mas
its agents looking the shoulders of every Dusi
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 N SELL
government. They studied the lessons and prohteu
by the teachings of history. They sought ana
found the causes of failure by other peoples in the
experiment of self-government. They did not
wander into the realms of fancy. They were Gre
at,ng government for human beings whose ma
ture has remained the same through all the CEN
turtles of time. They knew that the things tnat
in other ages had invited criticism, provoked ds-
content and resulted in disappointment and ieyo-
luton would lead to the same end in future ages.
They therefore created government adapted 20
the nature of man. simple government of laws to
be enacted and enforced by the chosen representa-
tiyes of free people. The purpose Oh the govern
ment was to protect them in their natural rights.
and to enable them to meet their national ana
international duties and oDllgatiohs. IT'S po"eiS
were limited.
The fathers did not contemplate at any time
under the Constitution they gave us a government
by men, 1t was not in the scheme of the fathers
that at any time the people should be beguiled
into using the government at Washington for
supervising or directing their purely personal To-
cal. and domestic affairs. They knew that in a
government of free people no man is big enough
or wise enough or good enough to command an
other his political equal in what he may or may
not do It is fundamental that free people may
not be expected long to endure the annoyanceS, tue
vexations the arbitrary regulations, the restfiS-
tions or the disappointments that are lncldeht 10
government by men acting as the fmcuonarles OF
n central authority, directing the affairs OF ana
axercising police powers over the people in the
remotest parts of their territorial limits Even
the assurances of government bureaus that the
authority exercised over the liberty OF the citi-
zens is for his own good will not long Degune the
citizen into surrender of his right TO live under
n government of laws enacted by his authority anu
consent that merely protect him from INJURY py
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 that leads to the
belief that it 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 arbitrary regula
tions affecting the life, liberty, property, or the
pursuit of happiness of the citizen. Such restric
fa1 nS o.