Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1925-07-10
Richie Pleads States Cause.

81 come today 10 plead the cause Of
democracy, not in the narrow sense. but
in the sense in which the fathers Of our
country devised it and fashioned II. That
is democracy which not only recognizes
the right Of the people to govern them
selves. but which also believes that the
people are capable Of governing themselves.
That is the essence of our faith. You
can talk all you please against government
by the select or by the few; against over
Capitalization in Washington; against bur-
densome regulations Of business and OF
local affairs; against tariffs and other laws
which benefit favored class.
But ii will all be to no account unless
the government for all the people which
you would substitute is based upon the
honest belief that the people are capable
Of running it and Of governing themselves.
that the people back home arc capable Of
settling their home questions for them
selves.
Many people of the country want a
Federal department of education, which
would regulate and standardize, we do not
know to what extent. the education of the
children. The Constitution reserved to the
individual States the right and duty to
provide for the education of the boys and
girls Of each State Ever since the foun-
dation Of our Government each State has
been doing this through a public school
system, augmented by private schools and
by UNCONVENTIONAL and parochial schools.
THE States were intended to prescribe
efficiency standards. and subject to these
the parents were intended to have the
right to send their children to any one of
these classes Of schools they wished.
That is the right Of the mothers and
fathers OF this country. The Federal Gov
eminent has no right to take 1t away from
them, and to substitute in its place feder-
allied system. The parents of each State
have the absolute right to send their chill
dren to any school they think best for their
children, provided only that the school
measures up in efficiency to what the State
exacts.
1T makes no difference whether it is a
public school. or a privately endowed
school, or a UNCONVENTIONAL school or a
parish school. II it is adequately efficient,
then the absolute choice lies with the
parents, who are entitled to do in this
respect what they think best for the child
Those who advocate the liberalization
OF education do not believe in either the
right or the capability Of the parents of
the country to educate their own children
in the recognized schools which seem best
to them. They do not believe in the
capability OF the people to exercise their
function OF government. Instead of en-
deavorine to impress their views, what
ever they are, upon the mothers and fathers
Of the respective States. they are en-
deavoring to have the Federal Government
prescribe them for mothers and fathers
everywhere.
MANY people Of the country want the
Federal Government to regulate and con
troll the labor Of children until they become
eighteen years old Those who honestly
oppose that as wrong thing to do. have
no desire or willingness TO exploit or com
mercialize the child. They have not the
slightest objection to all proper laws for
the health and welfare Of the child.
"0n the contrary, they want all such
laws passed. but they feel that such laws
should be passed by the States and moi
by Congress. They feel that each State
should frame such legislation with its owl
local conditions in view. and that then
subject only to these State laws. the
parents Of the country should be free to
raise their own children as the parents
think they should be raised, and not &C.
cordine to standardized rules which eithel
Congress or a new Federal bureau would
prescribe for the entire country.
Those who believe in a standardized
Federal law. do not believe in the capa.
bility Of the people of the State to raise
their own children in the right way. They
do not trust the people Of the State tC
secure from their own legislature any laws
which may be needed for the welfare Of
their own children.
Instead OF appealing to the fathers and
mothers in the State to do this. they 90
over the heads Of the parents and ask the
Federal Government to do parents jot
for them.
Those who advocate Federal subsidies
for roads and agriculture and health and
other local matters do not believe in the ca.
pabilityo Of the people to govern themselves
These are subjects which. under our form
of government, are entrusted to the States
to decide as seems best TO them.
THE Federal Government has no right
TO grasp supervision and control over these
purely local matters by dangling before
the eyes of the States the seductive bait
Of Federal subsidy, and exacting. as the
condition Of receiving it, Federal control
by bargain and trade which could not be
exercised directly under our Constitution.
Local self-government is the base rock
of our institutions. On no other theory
was national unity possible when our Gov
eminent was formed. On no other theory
is it possible today. On no other theory will
it ever be possible. Democracy demands
that we trust the people back home to
decide home questions as they will and to
fulfill home responsibilities as they will
Il plead for a Federal Government Of
fewer laws. of less interference with guar
anteed liberties. which respects the bal
ance our fathers struck between govern
mental power and individual freedom.
thus avoiding tyranny on the one hand
and anarchy on the other. which does not
harass either legitimate business or the
individual with unnecessary or too frequent
inspections and audits and supervision,
which does not deaden the initiative of