Milford chronicle., 1926-12-31
WHAT LIBERTY is

One word in our language often
misused is the word liberty, accord
ing to George B. Lockwood, writing
editorially in the National Republic.
Under the caption 1.-The Meaning OF
Liberty" Mr.. Lockwood says:
Liberty is not the right of every
man to do as he pleases. Every man
cannot do as he pleases, since such
an exercise of liberty would limit the
similar right of others.
Liberty is only theoright to do as
one pleases insofar as this does not
sacrifice the freedom of others and
the welfare of society.
"The savage in the jungle alone
has that liberty which some con-
ceive to be the right of every lndl-
vidual; that is to say, no law re-
strains him from working his own
will.
"But in such a case the ambition
of others to have that same liberty
restrains it's exercise. The strong
prevail; the rights of the weak are
sacrificed.
"In an ordered state the individ-
nal must sacrifice his right TO
maintain a public nuisance, dlsre-
gard sanitation, defy quarantine, re-
fuse schooling and satisfy his anti
social appetites in order that the
neople as a whole may have free
dom from annoyance, disease, pau
perism, ignorance or violence uue
to the exercise of what IN a more
primitive state of society would De
considered natural rights.
"Our crop of anarchists-reDels
against regulation in the interests OF
society-seems to be growing. With
l. ont counting the advantages OF the
nrotection which society gives thenl'
thew wish not to be bound by the
: statutes and ordinances necessary 10
l the nrotection of others. Such an
= attitude seems to be chiefly the re-
enIt of excessive self-esteem.
"Especially is respect due soclal
reoulation when the safeguards
= against which complaint is MADE
have been effected by legal process
=, in a republic where law Is puOiiN
: opinion cTystallized. -.
n 1--WE have no law in this couhtI!
which cannot be repealed WheheVel
: a majority of the people so decloe
l. We have provided in our teuera
CONSTITUTION for the preservation o.
certain personal rights essentlal u
freedom which even statutes cahho
invade We have larger measure
n of true liberty in this country-In'
liberty of every man to WORK ou
n bis own destiny-than is fouhu
It anv other country in the world
h 3Tf every citizen should turn rene
= ooainst every law which does no
le S,7it him the result would be anar
E. chv. and the rights OF all Woulu ~, y
z sacrificed. To expect socleIy " AZ, a.
tend to us the protection Oh IL
rt laws we like and in turn tO uT
s. nounce and defy those laws whlcl
imnose disagreeable restraints upol
l. nc js evidence of the lack Oh d.
IS underlying sense of fairness. PeopI
N can live together only by mutua I'd
Concessions and decent regard 10
O. +be rules of the game. Those Mn
r ref,,se to do so are not square me
ottacb too much importance 10 IheHi
Of seIves and too little to others
Of eve hear much praise lot III
sririt of revolt. When people reVOl
Mt against society they revolt agalns ms
9. themselves. Those who sneer at IN
I'd mast and the institutions II naS "
ty 1ueathed to the present gehera'iOl
is too lightly estimate the Val9e
ed their social and political ana ece
non,ic inheritance and the Cost
re which it has been gained. A ntIl
k. more time devoted to STUDY VI ,oa ~
o. good in what exists, and httle s,Oa; ICE
es 70 inventing something theoreIic% :
Sc ly better out of thin air wounu 'no,,s
beneficial to millions of Americans