Evening star., 1926-01-09
R|TCHE DEMANDS
BUREAUCRACY END
Says States Rights Issue
Transcends All Others in
Nation Today.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
CHICAGO. January 9.-The second
Democratic hroadside was fired here
preliminary to the next presidential
campaign at the Iroquois Clubs Jack
son day dinner last night. when Gov
A lbert C. Ritchie of Maryland said in
an address that the preservation of
liberty ira nscended such questions as
the World Court. tariff or diSarma
ment. Gov. Al Smith of New York
fired the opening shot in the prelim
mary sltirmishing here early last Fall
Decentra liZation of the Federal Gov
eminent and restitution to the States
of inherent rights was the theme of
Gov. Ritchie'S address.
"A Democratic anniversary such as
this calls for a Democratic message in
The language of Democrats.
1t concerns the conflict between
the rights of the individual citizen and
the powers of the Government, and
the place and function of local Govern
ment as contrasted with national Gov
ernment."
Hits Decentralization.
He deprecated overcentraliza ton in
the Federal Government as the lin
strument of leagues, groups mill
tant minoritieS -
He referred 10 adoption of the bill
of rights. as marking the first politi-
cal activity of that element in the Ma.
ton which To this day constitutes the
Democratic party
He listed five of the ten amend
ments essential To personal liberty"
as destroyed: the right of free speech
and of peaceable assembly: the guar
antee against unreasonable searches
and seizure: the guarantee against
double jeopardy and against compul-
sion to be witness against ones self
in a criminal case: the right to a Jury
trial in the state or district where the
crime was committed. and the reserva-
tion To the States of all powers not
delegated to the United States and
not prohibited to the States
Thus five of the principal immu-
mites guaranteed by the bill of rights
have been stricken down. one by one,
with the result that people every
where are In revolt against the in
creasinc eXtravacances of Federal
regulation and subject To control by a
bureau at Washington and constant
invasion hy some Federal agent. In
veStigatOr or Inspector"
There are other issues. hut none af-
fects the preservation of liberty 50
much as the proper distribution and
exercise OF power between the States
and the Union. he asserted.
Sees Issue as Greatest.
Certainly II far transcends any
question of State rights. historically
or in the abstract, or even suce ques-
tions as the tariff the World Court
the income tax. disarmament. the Air
Service. Muscle Shoals. and the like.
They must he particularly appar
ent when n Republican President dis
covers that what is needed is return
to Democratic doctrine. and with all
the fervor and zeal of a new convert
declares for the rights of the States.
However. let us give the President
credit for seeing the dangers of too
much centra liZation and of recoSniz-
ing the cure.
His view of prohibition is that un-
til the sentiment of the country en-
ables p change in the eighteenth
amendment. the subject should he
turned hack by Congress to the States.
and each State. within constitutional
limitations. given the right and the
reSpon sibility Of settling il in accord
ance with the will of its own people.
so long as ii exists. il should. Of
course he upheld and respected. hut
just aS good citizens in the South feel
that refusal to obey the fifteenth
amendment involves no real issue and
is no violation of their individual CON
science. so do many feel about the
eighteenth amendment.
The farmers more than anv one
else should favor A strong local gov
ernment, because they more than any
other class. except, possibly. la Dor,
have suffered from excessive central
liza tion of Federal power.
The people of this country have not
lost faith in democracy or in its
champion, the Democratic party"