The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-06-27
American
LndiUiduaLism
A Timely Message to
the American People
By HOOVER
Secretary OF Commerce.
Phases.

this essay to discuss our political
n organization. Democracy is mere
~ the mechanism which indiyidualism
invented as a device that would carry
on the necessary political work of its
social organization. Democracy arises
out Of individualism and nrospers
through it alone.
Without question, there exists, al
most all over the world, unprecedented
disquietude at the f%unctioning of gov
eminent itself. 1t is in part the dreamy
social ferment of wal emotion. 1t is
in part the aftermath of a period when
the government II everything and the
individual nothing, from which there is
much stimulation to two schools of
thought: one that all human ills can
be cured by governmental regulation,
and the other that all regulation is a
sin.
During the war, the mobilization of
every effort, the destruction of the
normal demand and the normal I've
nues of distribution, required a vast
excursion over the deadline of indiyid-
ualism 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 to these supposed
short cuts to 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 is complaint that while
some died, others raj no risk, and yet
others profited. For these complaints
there is adequate justification. The
facts are patent. However, no conceiy-
able human intelligence would be able
to manage the conduct of var so as to
see that all sacrifices and burdens
should be distributed equitably. War
is destruction, and we should blame
war for its injustices, 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 temporary-its continuance
through the crushing of individual ac-
ton and its %inequities would, if for
no other reason, destroy the founda-
tions of u civilization.
Looked at as the umpire in our social
system, our government has maintained
an equality before the law and a deyel-
opment of legal justice and an author
lty in restraint of evil instincts that
support this social system and Its
ideals so far as the imperfections of
developing human institutions permit.
it 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. 1t has succeeded
far beyond all others in those safe
guards Of equality of opportunity
through education, public information,
aQd 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 it is to
chart its relations to Inc economic seas.
These seas are new and only partly
discovered or explored.
Our governments greatest troubles
and failures are in the economic field.
Forty years ago the contact of the in
diviGual with the government had its
largest expression in the sheriff or pc
liceman. and in debates over political
equality. In those happy days the gov
eminent offered but small Interior
ence with the economic life of the citi-
zen. But with the vast development
of industry and the train of regulating
functions of the national and munich
pal government that followed from it;
with the recent vast increase in taxa
ton due TO the var-the government
has become through its relations to
economic life the most potent force for
maintenance or destruction Of our
American individualism.
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
ia the course Of this development that
equality Of opportunity and its corol-
larry, individual initiative, was being
throttled by the concentration of con-
troll Of industry and service, and thus
an economic domination of groups
builded over the nation. At 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 TO
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 "capi-
tallsm' Of Adam Smith.
Day by day We learn more as to the
practical application of restrictions
against economic and political domina-
ton. We sometimes lag behind in the
correction Of those forces that would
override liberty, justice and equality
Of opportunity, but the principle is so
strong within Us that domination Of
the few will not be tolerated. These
restraints must keep pace with the
growing complexity of our economic
organization. but they need tuning TO