The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1924-05-16
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Back 10 the constitution is becom
ing a national watchword. Simplih
cation of government processes. less
government, fewer laws and a NOR,
rigid adherence to the principles upor
which this government by representa-
tion was founded find many advo'
Gates among political students today.
Some conception OF the way thought
is running is well expressed by Mr..
Gowcn in his weekly letter to Cald-
we'll Kiwanians. Mr.. Gowen says:
Uncle Sam is badly infected with
the Law Making disease. In fact his
case is the worst in the history of the
world. The output is so enormous
that the law libraries cannot house
it. the law experts cannot keep inform
ed about il, and the law enforcement
officers cannot assimilatc it.
1T is declared that the total num-
Der of laws and ordinances now eff
fective in the United States exceed
two million. No wonder the most of
us are law breakers whether we know
it or not; but that wouldn't be so bad
If it weren't for the fact that new
laws must be enforced which calls for
an ever increasing army Of law en-
forcers. Some laws call for large
additions to the public pay roll. usu-
ally the number of public employees
grow. as work inaugerated by new
pieces of legislation branch out and
appropriations for them increase, as
they have a habit of doing. Out of
six days that we labor. ont days labor
goes to pay the cost of government.
to pay the living expenses of hun
dreds of thousands of government
officials and employees whose labor
is not productive. whose talents and
are devoted to regulating the
rest OF the people. Some day a re-
action will set in. Then some politi-
cal party will be swept to victory on
a platform that calls for reduced legis-
and elimination Of regulatory
activities that do more harm than
good.
rs IT any wonder that every little
while we hear the suggestion that we I
How down this law making nachin- I
Try? That we stop manufacture OF
and try enforcement OF some. (
epeal OF others and 4 reduction 5
II Legislative verbiage? Is there any Q
necessity for our law makers to de- I
'ide or try to decide what our boys a
nd girls shall wear to school or n
whether a good. healthy boy shall
the lawn. or milk a COW, or
weep h store, or whether our girls Z
hall help Mother with the house !,
'orke II the Child Labor amendment :
asses we may look for another crop
Of federal sleuths prying into our :,
m life, that will put the Income "
ak and Prohibition agents to shame. v
They say that the American peo-P
le are long suffering, but there will |
ONE a day, and that not far distant. j
the common people will refuse c
, longer submit to federal employees c
eng allowed to pry into their home 8
fe and oircumscribe their personal p
berries. As il is to-day an income {,
TX agent can fine a man for a slight O
rror or mistake in his reports wheth-
r the government has lost or mott
'e said agent being Judge and Jury.
'rohibition agents search and seize
ithout warrant. which is contrary to
&c tenents of the Constitution. How t.
luch longer Americans will stand for Il
us remains to be seen. c
Most of the ablcst lawyers Of the e
sympathize with the idea that
reduction of legislative output is r
-eatly to be desired. The Chief Jus :.
OF the United States is himself in J.
deeply in tn problem. Thosc !.
st qualified to diagnose conditions 4
e very DESTROYS that Uncle SANS :
lection shall not become chronic" H..
Some phases of this creed are pop 4
ar. Most American citizens agree, :.
r instance. that the United States :.
IS TOO many laws and too many de-
Irtmen,s. And yet from that same
ns of thought comes most urgently G
appeal for new amendments, new e'
sislation, new phases Of govern p'
activities. d:
State teaxes in 1923 were nine per 6