Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1923-05-24
American
MdiuiduaLisn1
A Timely Message to
the American People
BY HERBERT HOOVER
Secretary Of Commerce.
v--Polltical Phases.


ly the mechanism which indlviduaIism
invented as n device that would carry
on the necessary political work Of its
social organization. Democracy arises
out Of indIvidualism and prospers
through Il alone.
most all over the world. unprecedented
disquietude at the functioning Of gov
eminent itself. II is In part the dreamy
social ferment OF war emotion. II Is
In part the aftermath OF a period when
the government was everything and the
individual nothing, from which there IL
much stimulation 10 two schools Of
thoughts one that all human Ills can
be cured by governmental regulation,
and the other that all regulation IL a
sin.
During the war. the mobilization OF
every effort. the destruction Of the
normal demand and the normal ave
nues OF distribution. required vast
excursion over the deadlIne Of individ-
uallsm In order that we might secure
immediate results. Its continuation
would have destroyed the initiative Of
our people and undermined all real
progress. We are slowly getting back.
but many still aspire 10 these. supposed
short cuts 10 the millennium.
Much OF our discomfort takes the
form Of resentment against the In
eQualitIes In the distribution Of the
sacrifices OF war. Both silently and
yocally there 10 complaint that while
some died, others ran no risk, and yet
others profited. For these complaints
there ls adequate justification. The
facts are patent. However. no conceiv.
able human intelligence would be able
TO manage the conduct OF war 80 as 20
see that all sacrifices and burdens
should be distributed equitably. War
IL destruction, and we should blame
war for It's lnJustlces, not a social sys-
TEN whose object is construction. The
submergence OF the individual. how.
ever In the struggle Of the race could
be but tomporary--its continuance
through the crushing Of Individual ac-
tion and Its ineQulties would. II for
no other reason, destroy the founda.
lions OF our civilization.
Looked at as the umpire In our social
system. our government has maintained
an equality before the law and devel-
opment OF legal justice and an author
ity In restraint OF evil Instincts that
support this social system and Its
Ideals 10 far rs the lmperfections OF
developing human institutions permit.
II has gone the greatest distance OF
any government toward maintaining an
equality OF franchise an equality OF
entrance TO public Office, and govern.
ment by the majority II has succeeded
far beyond all others In those. safe
guards Of equality OF opportunity
through education. public information.
and the open channels Of free speech
and free press II is, however. much
easier to chart the course Of progress
OF government In dealing with the alb
stract problems OF order. political lib.
erty, and stimulation TO intellectual
and moral advancement than u Is TO
chart Its relations to the economic seas
These seas are new aud only partly
discovered or explored.
Our governments greatest troubles
and failures are In the economic field
Forty years ago the contact OF the In.
dividual with the government had Its
largest expression In the sheriff or 20
lceman, and In debates over political
equality. In those happy days the gov.
eminent offered but small interior
ence with the economic life Of the clti
zen, but with the vast development
Of Industry and the train OF regulating
functions of the national and munich.
pal government that followed from L.;
with the recent vast increase In taxa.
tlon due To- the war-the government
has become through It's relations 20
economic life the most potent force for
maintenance or destruction of our
American indiyidualisn.
The entrance OF the government be-
gan strongly three decades ago, when
our industrial organization began to
move powerfully In the direction Of
consolidation Of enterprise. We found
In the course % this development tina,
equality OF opportunity aud It's corol-
larry. individual Initiative, was being
throttled by the concentration Of con-
troll Of industry and service. and thus
an economic domination Of groups
huilded over the nation. Az this time,
particularly, we were threatened with
a form OF autocraey OF economic pow.
er. Our mass OF regulation OF public
utilities and our legislation against re-
straint Of trade Is the monument 20
our intent TO preserve an equality Of
opportunity. This regulation Is Itself
proof that we have gone a long way
toward the abandonment Of the "capl.
talism" OF Adam Smith.
Day by day we learn more as to the
practical application Of restrictions
against economic and political DONNA
tion. We sometimes lag behind In the
correction OF those forces that woalt
override liberty. justice and equality
OF opportunity. but the principle Ia ID
strong within US that domination q
the few viii not be tolerated These
restraints must keep pace with the
growing completely OF our economi,
organization, hut they need tuning B,
our social system " they would MOI