Evening star., 1925-06-01
The Doctrine of States Duties.

The Doctrine OF States UutleS.
President Coolidge, in his Memorial
day address, enunciated the doctrine OF
States duties He called upon the in
dividual States 10 perform those duties.
He warned them that unless the
States of their own initiative provided
the kind of government which the
American people demand, then some
other government than that OF the
States would provide it. He pictured
local self government as the very
corner stone of the American idea OF
government. He pleaded with the peo-
pie Of the various States and COM
munities not TO relinquish the powers,
the great powers remaining TO them
after the adoption of the Federal Con-
stitution.
Appropriately the President dis
cussed on the day set aside TO honor
the memory of the men who have
made the greatest sacrifice for their
country the need of service by those
who remain and who are 10 come. The
day has passed the President said,
"NSn d SDlll III lIc l liIOlL ILlAEAAN Ia Y
been conceivable because of differences
with the Federal Government over
rights" The days of a comparatively
weak Federal Government have long
passed. The problem today is not to
strengthen the Government now cen
tralized in Washington, but to preserve
the strength of the local governments.
The President is not blind to the
great changes which have come in or
ganized society in this country, due to
the improvement of communications
and to the commerce between the
States The Federal Government nee
essarily has been compelled to expand
and to cover fields of action that orig
inaIly were undreamed Of. But unless
the States use properly the powers
which they retain and perform the
service demanded, then the further de-
velopment of the Federal Government
seems inevitable.
Two forces are constantly at work
bringing about an enlargement of the
scope of Federal activity. One is de-
Inand for social reforms-very proper
in themselves, perha ps-and the other
is a desire to dip into the Federal
Treasury, which Is not so proper. The
shortest course, the reformers have
discovered, to obtain action is through
an amendment to the Federal Constitu-
ton, or through a law enacted by the
Federal Congress, law that will ap-
ply to all States alike. They have dis
covered that it is easier to obtain one
big victory than to make the campaign
in 4S States, and win them all: that it
is easier to enforce the will of three
fourths Of the States upon the re-
mainder than to win in all the States.
In a measure, the backwardness, the
failure Of some of the States to meet
their full duties in local government
has been responsible for the adoption
of such tactics.
The second force. working toward
centralization Is even more insidious.
The Federal Treasury is the bait and
the goal. Less wealthy States, |
through Federal appropriations, are
receiving money raised by taxation in
the more wealthy and more populous
States. The system of Federal aid for
good roads is a case IN point. 1t is a
system which is being applied more
and more in other directions.
President Coolidge referred to the
failure of the States to enforce their
own criminal laws, in consequence OIL
which crime is committed with more
chance of immunity in this country
than any other great civilized nation
IN the world. He attacked the multi
plicity of laws, the complicated pro
cedure of the courts, the delays and
expense of litigation, all of which help
10 make justice difficult.
I'VE are not lawless people, but
we are too frequently a careless one"
the President said, emphasizing the
need of the people of the States to
meet this situation.
In some quarters the Presidents
speech may be hailed as restatement
Of the old States rights" doctrine.
But those who so regard it confuse
rights with duties. The President is
deeply concerned that the dual system
of government, under which this coun-
Try has. lived and developed, shall be
perfected and adapted to the changing
conditions of organized society. This
dual system has laid great stress upon
local f-government, which must be
maintained, else in the end the States
will be governed as provinces from
corruption and the encroaching weak
nesses which have marked the fall of
great governments in the past.
The geological debate has become so