The Washington times., 1923-06-26
REVOLT AGAINST
BUREAUCRACY
OBSERVED
Not Question Of Wet or Dry
or Any Specific Issue, But Re-
vivaI of Freedom, Hard Says.
By WILLIAM HARD.


sunervision and to bring in q new
are of what they regard as revived
American freedom. Such IL the
conclusion which has been Inn
pressed upon this writer in the
course Of recent travels through
many States.
While politicians, most Of them,
are talking about individual specific
questions such as the tariff or rural
credits or child labor or wet ana
dry, broad general comprehensive
disgust and dIsnke for all new ex.
tensions OF centralized bureaucratic
governmental authority ID begin
ming to rise, and is in fact rising
rapidly. Deeper and more vital
than any drift Of Immediate sur
face news, this development liz pro-
ceeding toward the making Of q
sort OF new revolution in the tenn.
per Of the American people.
Fear The New Overhead"
IN talking with plain ordinary
voters in all sorts OF communities
and circumstances during the last
seven days this writer has heard
more Comments on Senator Beve-
ridges Boston attack on bureaucracy
than on any speech made by the
President. The turn In sentiment
was Indicated to this writer spec
taculArly by q conversation with q
distinguished enlightened clergy
man in st. Louis who was q great
follower OF Theodore Roosevelt's
and a great advocate Of humanitar-
ian legislation. He said:
at have come to the conclusion
that while I am OF course opposed
to child labor am also opposed
to the Federal Constitutional
amendment which has been sug-
gested as a means Of stopping child
labor. now would rather let child
labor continue IN the few back
ward States that want 1t than
build up Any additional overhead Of
new Federal Inspectors roaming
this country from Washington to
overcome local opinion by Federal
edict"
Beyeridge's anti ; bureaucracy
speech, In the observation Of this
writer. struck q widely responsive
chord even in the Middle West,
which Is much given to coercive re-
forms. The policies OF Al Smith OF
New York are beginning likewise TO
receive wider and wider under
standing and approval. 1t was sur
prising to this writer to notice how
many citizens spoke to him OF Al
Smith, not simply as a champion OF
the vets, but even more emphati-
cally as a champion of the struggle
against all sorts Of political or in
tellectual censorship" They HAD
noted his opposition to the censor
ship of movies and to the censor
ship of the opinions Of school teach
ers, and they applauded him.
A year ago, in travelling through
this same region, this writer heard
little talk Of this kind. Now from the
very same people he hears q striking
amount OF 1t. The tide Of opinion
toward wanting to do good to 9TH
ers against their will is still doni-
nant, but the undertow the other
way is beginning to run strong and
heavy. and an outright general con-
fict between the two forces Is indi.
Gated as one of the great national
struggles OF the closely approaching
future.
People Getting Tired.
This struggle has been hastenei
by the excuses Of the coercive re-
formers. People are getting tired,
for instance, OF having their HOUSES
searched by rowing bands of
pirates who are licensed to enrich
themselves by selling alcoholic
liquors in communities where they
are not citizens. These new car
pet baggers" are coming to be as
popular as the Northern carpet
baggers" were in the South just
after the war between the States.
Here in Cincinnati, as this writer
- f,.< hNY
Nicholas Longworth, there are not
only Federal prohibition inspectors
and State prohibition inspectors,
but also a new sort Of prohibition
enforcement person who seems to
be authorized by the county in
which he does not live, there to
seize property and to seize people
and carry them back out of their
own county into his for examina.
ton and trial.
Inspectors from Washington, in.
spectors from State capital; and
inspectors from neighboring coun.
ties are, therefore the lot Of the
citizens Of this county in respect of
the enforcement of this one idea of
the prevention of drinking.
Not "Wet'' and "Dry" Issue.
buL the ISSUE is HO IOnSCI simply
one Of wet versus dry. The drink
question is coming to be only a part,
and an increasingly smaller part, Of
a general reaction against all and
every sort of avNidable governmental
interference with the citizen.
Senator Reed made that issue his
really central issue in Missouri last
year and was reelected Senator. He
could be reelected much more easily
on it this year. The prospect seems
to this writer to be that there will
be an alignment presently between
the people who are against the
Volstead Law, the people who are
against censorships, the people who
are against excessive Federal
bureaus and inspectors and of regu
lators, the people who are against
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Of railroads,
and many other group of people who
for varying reasons are opposed to
further governmental expansion; and
that through this new alignment the
next great issue in America will be
not simply LESS government in
business" but less government in
everything"
copyright, 1929. Washington Press