Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-09-14

present day problems we would be
Econfronted with confusion: worse con-
founded. What concerns Sus how
ever. tars above IN attempted
the fact that we are becoming more
and more dependent upon q central
lied government; for the regulation Of
our internal affairs, and that consti-
tutional distinctions: seemingly arti-
f1c1Al IN character, are being .estab-
lished to afford a line Of demarcation
between permissible and prohibited
action.
we have not by any means. ex-
Shausted the subject: The govern.
certain diseases both among human
beings. live stock, and even in the
vegetable kingdom:; 1t is promoting
education; II is furnishing credit for
various enterprises of n private char
acter; 1t is constructing roads and
reclamation projects on a large scale.
In.short' 1T is fast becoming a great.
colossus encompassing within its
stride all the activities of men. F.,
Growth Of Federal Authority. :
There is q tendency to regard
these multifarious activities with,
alarm. 1t is freely asserted that the
general government is being weak
GtlC oAlCGI. "SiSlI III l
complex machinery and through lack
OF coordination. However desirable
efficiency might be. the lack of 1T Is
not after all our principle concern.
Our principal concern 1t seems to me,
Is with the sacrifice of individualism.
both from the standpoint Of initiative
and responsibility, and with the sub-
stitution Of paternalism, which is
supinely accepted as rejecting prog
.ress in government. The individual.
citizen, the locality or. even the
sovereign state is strongly inclined
to appeal to the federal government
Tor that which could be more adj
vantageously and economically ac-
complished on the spot. There is q
popular illusion that Uncle Sam has
superior ways of doing things and
that his expense budgets are met by
showers of funds that rain down like
mamma from heaven. Congressman
have been known to retain their seats
for years by virtue of their ability to
lmplant these illusions in strategic
places in their respective districts.
The false notion of no individual re-
sponsibility for what transpires at the
remote seat of government is indeed
so prevalent that perplexed poll
ticicians are rel tempted at times to
trade on 1t in order to, tide them I'VE
some seeming emergency. 1t is seri-
ously proposed for instance. to finance
a big undertaking by using the inter
est owing Uncle Sam by foreign gov
ernments, and thus avoid taxation.
But who will pay the interest m the
money which was borrowed to be
loaned to the foreign governments If
not h taxpayers2 Onesis reminded
of Lord Bacon's expression 1T may
be all one purse. but 1T worketh
siversely upon the courage"
Intelligence Sets Standard.
As a sfieam will rise no higher
than its source, so is it impossible to
have a democratic. government func-
tioning on a higher plane than is de-
manded by the Intelligence and the
ideals of its citizens. The completely
of u social and economic organiza-
ton makes demands upon govern
ment that are greater than ever be-
fore in our history. If individual
initiative is to be preserved, if we
are to continue our efforts to apply
Spencer's doctrine that the freedom
of the individual should be restrain
ed only insofar as is necessary to Sc