The Washington times., 1925-05-30

CAlC &AAuGklCBu 0ktAhy sVOVA SsAg
gum habit to Europe and
planted Il there apparently for
|. all time to come.
alton which other States impose.
one person may enjoy while an
other IL denied these benefits.
A few years aGD q majority Ok
the States had adopted prohibi.
ton or rigid restrictions on the
traffic in Intoxicating liquor.
But other States did not Coz
operate In advancine this policy.
and ultimately by national action
it was extended to all the Union.
BY failing to meet the require
ments OF d national demand the
States became deprived o4 the
power to act. II questions which
the States win not fairly settle
on their own account shall have
to be settled for them BY the
Federal authority, Il VIII only be
because some States Will have re-
fused to discharge obvious duties.
There Is another responsibility
OF the States II ID quite aaide
from this one Of jurisdiction. 1t
is the subject Of law enforcement.
We are not q, lawlegs people. but
we are too frequently . careleSs
one The multiplicity Of laws. the
varied possibilities Of appeals, the
disposition to technically In pro.
ceduro, the delays and consequent
expense Of litigation which inevi-
tably inure to the; advantage Of
wealth and specialized ahility-All
these have many times been re-
counted as reproaches 70 us. 1t
IL strange that such Iaxities
should persist In. q time Ike the
present. which % marked by q
determined upward movement "a
Z behalf Of the social welfAre. But
they do exist. They demonstrate
q need for bettar. prOmptef, leND
irksome, and expensive admins.
tration 0f the laws. They point
the necessity Tor etInpllcation and
codification Of, laws: Tor uniform.
ity Of procodure; for more ac-
curate delimitation, Of state and
Federal authority.
A Better EeoEloGnic Gysten.
All these probfsmB constantly
come in the work Of political and
social development. But they
, SLAHu 1CT q vast pkO8ECD0sOA 10
ward better conditions, better
society, a better economic system.
In approaching them, we need to
have in mind the Federalist's ana
lysls of our constitutional system:
"Tl1e powers delegated 20 the
Federal Government Nr0 few md
defined; those TO remain in the
hands Of the State government
are numerous and indefinite"
That statement cannot be too
much emphasize. The countfy'o
growth has compelled the Federal
establishment to exceed by far
the Government plants Of even
the greatest States. With this
growth in physical extent, In rev.
enue, In personnel, there haS in.
evitably been the suggestion that
the Federal Government was over
shadowing the State. Yet the
State governments deal with faF
more various and more intimate
concerns O4 the people than does
the NaticnAl Government. All the
operations OF the minor civil diviS-
ions, parishes, wards, school dis
tricts, towns. cities, counties, and
the like, are dependencies Of the
State. The maintenance OF order
through police, the general bust
ness Of enforcing law, IL left to
the States. So is education. Prop
erty is held and transferfed on
terms fixed by the States. In
short, the structure Of social and
business relationship IL built
about the laws Of the States~ It
depends upon the exercise by the
States of that vastly greater
share Of Government power which
resides in them. to the exclusion
Of tho Federal Government. In
ordinary times nearly the entire
burden OF taxation represents
State and local demands. Even
now. despite the enormous IN
crease Of Federal taxes from pre-.
far exceed the Federal require
ments. Moreover. the national
burden II being continually re-
duced, while that Of the local
units IL growing ana likely to con.
tinue to grow.
States Lax in Fulfilling Duties.
Such is the real distribution Of
duties, responsibilities, and e1'
penses. Yet people are given to
thinking and speaking Of the Ma
tional Government az "the Gov
ernmont." They demand moro
from it than 1t was ever intsnded
to provide; and yet In the same
breath they complain that Federal
authority is stretching itself over
areas which do not concern Il.
On one side, there is for more
amendments to the Constitution.
On the other, there 10 too much
opposition to those that already
exist.
increasing demands on the FEDERAL
Government IL that the States
have not discharged their fun
duties. Some have done better
and some worse, but az n whole
they have not done all they should,
So demand has grown up for
greater concentration OF powers
in the Federal Government. II We
will fairly consider 1t, we must
conclude that the remedy would
be worse than the disease. What
we need - not more gcdeisll gov.
erun,an4&L- but better local R1H
criUnent. Yet many people who
would agree to this have large
responsibility for the lapeeG Of
local authority.
Against More Capitalization.
From every position OF consis-
tency with our system. mere cen
tr;LliZation ought to bd avoided.
The States would protest. promptly
enough anything savoring Of Fed
eral usurpation. ThetF protection