The Republican., 1925-12-10

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the American electorate became be-
wildered or disgusted, while appre-
henSion for the safety of our institu-
tions increased. We may, in passing,
reflect how strongly the founders of
the Republic builded in that power
has not yet passed into the hands of
some dictator, a course now openly
advocated in some quarters. Chaotic
conditions pave only in one direction,
and that toward a dictatorship.
As part of the widespread appre-
hension, we have much appeal. from
both offic al and non-official circles, to
the NOR. element of the country, to
throw is influence in the breach for
the support of law and order, and be-
cause there has been a greater re-
sponse to the excited pleas, the sug-
gestion is made that public conscience
Is becoming paralyzed.
American Conscience Shocked.
Passing by for the present the fact
that when public officials make such
an appeal to the country it necessar-
ily implies that they have proven in
capable of properly administering the
affairs Of office, is it correct to charge
that the public conscience is dor
mant? Is that a proper analysis of
the situation? Viewed in proper
Light, and going down beneath the
surface, has not the American con-
science become more acute, awaken
cd in fact with a shock. at the man
ner in which the principles of Fed
eTal Republic have been set at naught
through dangerous innovations? AS
long as scme desirabel objective was
Che only thing under consideration,
the means employed for securing it
were not considered, but when the
''tumult and the shouting" died, then
the American electorate had brought
home to them the unpleasant fact
that the So-called victories" were but
the triumph of some faction.
Factions are the bane of freedom.
the tares which choke out the wheat,
and while they cannot be wholly Grad
icated without destroying all the
wheat, the plainest wisdom applicable
to such situation is to not encourage
a procedure which fans factions into
q consuming heat. 1t is through di-
rect action methods factions reach
this menacing stage in politics, and it
is through representative govern
factions cease to dominate our pOlit-
ical household. The factions plead
for respect for law and order, but are
they in any position to lecture the
American people about their political
and moral duties having themselves
done that which is both politically and
morally wrong?
Why Prate About Law and Order?
As a constant irritating example of
the disrespect for law the 18th amend
ment is cited on every hand. But how
much respect for law and order-that
higher law and that higher order
which makes civil law and civil order
pOssible-did Congress show when it
formulated such political monstros-
ity as the Concurrent power doc
trine between Congress and the sew
eral States" and by more than two
thirds vote send it on to be ratified
by the State legislatures? And then
46 States, seeing no more beauty and
strength Of the constitutional plan to
keep State and Federal power clear
and distinct, to establish which the
great Chief Justice John Marshall
gave his best talents, ratified the in
novation, antagonistic to all the rest
of the Constitution, so far as the
Having thus shown no respect for the
work of the founders of the Republic,
on what ground, by what token, does
Congress ask respect for the innova-
tion, the radical change it started on
its banal course? Important as the
liquor question is, involving the ques-
ton as to how we shall live in our po-
litical home, it is not as important as
the question Of tearing out the foun-
dation stones from under the home
itself. And if putting such doctrine
as concurrent power" in the Consti-
tuition is not politically and morally
wrong, what is politically and moral
ly wrong?
There are some political wrongs too
great to be classed as crimes, just as
there are many offenses which fall be-
meath the classification Of crimes, and
are called misdemeanors. This setting
of one part of the constitution against
the other part, making a divided CON
Stitutional house, is one Of those Of
fenses which makes petty misdemean-
ors with which our court dockets are
clogged, but dust upon the scales,
however important they would be re-
garded, and should be regarded, in
the religious and moral realm.
So the taunt that there is a lack of
respect for law and order, even with
h 4