Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1925-09-14
No Liberty Without
4 "A.



America this week is readin,
and discussing that greatest o
human documents, the Constitu
ton of these United States.
Is a domucment too seldom reaC
in the past, but of recent year
men are again turning to it, be
lieving that when we becom,
more familiar with it, we viii
hold greater appreciation of tn,
liberties we enjoy and seel
more diligently to obey the law
of the land.
Declaring that there can b,
no liberty without law, an offic
ial of the Better Schools League
of America, says:
On this, the 138th anniversary
of the framing and signing of
the constitution of the United
States, we are called on to take
note of the document that gave
this nation a new birth and placed
in the records those ideals and
aspirations which have made US
great.
The constitution crystallized
into basic law a government by
the people and established a re-
public with guarantee of equal
ity before the law. We deem it
important, therefore, to read in
its pages not only the privileges
but the obligations of citizenship
as we'll.
To many thinking people a pc
Rod has arisen. that is putting
our constitution through a Sc
we're test. They contend that
human faces are at work under
mining American ideals. They
hold before us such agencies of
despair" as lawlessness, radical
ism, class hatred, illegal traffic
ing, jury-fxing, loose application
of pardoning power, all of which
have become a menace to con-
stitutional foundations.
We have fallen on days where
there is a laxity in respect for
law and order, a defiance of the
sancity of person and property.
Since all forms of human be-
havior are more or less contage-
Gus it is important that we con-
slider the conditions and the rem
edy.
In the penal institutions of the
United States there are today
100000 persons convicted of
crime. This does not tell the
whole story when we consider
those who go unpublished or un-
detected. Recent figures show
the cost of this crime to be about
8 IA per cent of the nations
income, a startling sum to ex-
pend on a destructive force. IN
fortunately this does not repre-
sent the total outlay. 1t is but
necessary by way of illustration
to note the cost of burglary in
surance and contrast the rate with
some other hazard such as fire.
On the other hand, education, our
greatest constructive force, costs
an smount approximating 1 IL
per cent of our income. This COM
paratiye cost is the more signifi-
cant when we consider that we
have in our grade and secondary
schools alone 125 times as many
American youths as there are in
mates of our penal institutions.
There is reason to feel that
when this conflict clears the Wis
ion of the constitutions founders
will be vindicated-that this will
be proved a fraternai nation. We
have agencies of hope" that lead
us to this conclusion. They are
such institutions as the social well
fare and service organizations;
the press and radio; the church,
the home, and the schools.
Educators are already at the
task. They sensed the situation
and for some time in conference
groups the subject of character
development and citizenship
training has received their atten-
ton. 1t is program not of
talk but of action. Already many
have translated their thinking
into courses of study for definite
instruction. Others are follow
ing.
Education is the greatest single
foe of crime. The mass of the
vicious, destructive and criminal
are from. less educated levels.
The exceptions are so few as to
be conspicuous. Education is
the inspiration of reason and
reason inspires respect for order.
There can be no liberty without
law. If we are to become more
Of a law-abiding nation we win
first recognize the necessity of
having our educational institu-
tiona organized as training camps
tihip aud second, make