The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-04-26
A SPEECH BY GOVERNOR
RTTCHIE

Getting the Government back to the people
the theme, il not the title of talk by Governor AL
bert c. Richie of Maryland, before a Boston audi
ence the other night. The Governor spoke the Ian
guage Of craftsmanship
State Rights is phrase whose appeal is gen
orally believed to have been lost long ago. This
however, may not be true Richie coupled State
responsibilities with State rights and he presented
State rights primarily the average citizens
rights, his personal rights an individual member
of free commonwealth, rather than the right of
power of the political unit known as State. He
saw State rights as home rule or local elf-govern,
ment and he argued the necessity for more such
cJose-at-home control against increasing Federal
control
Some paragraphs from his speech follow:
The tendency to use the long of the Fed
eral Government, particularly in what is really the
field of morals has been anything but helpful to the
natural agencies of social advance. BY trying to
control by force the normal activities of men, their
morals and their habits, we have undoubtedly weak
ened the power of the real agencies for human bet
terment-the church. religion, education and indi-
vidual conscience. Centuries Of experience have
taught that in all times and all places these after
all are infinitely more effective than the letter
Of the Statute or the policemans club.
1t the States that produced the great lead
ers. They should still be the training school for
the Nations statesmen, rewarded rejected. Even
in the several States you cannot escape a certain
measure of Capitalization and excessive oflcialism
But State officials too close to their creators to
develop bureaucracy. Everybody can easily know
all about him. The force of public opinion keep
them in check But who knows anything about the
~ That
Washington? Even those who do the appointing
must act on information and belief and not on
knowledge They are beyond the reach of public
opinion.
The same principle applies to restrictive legisla
ton. Some of the States are about ruthless in
overriding the liberties of men as is the Federal
Government; but the remedy is easier. Abuse is
more readily corrected Public opinion can better
make itself felt If law represents the prevailing
sentiment it can be enforced; if it does not it can
be repealed. Not so, however, when you permit one
part Of the country to infct its views on non-as
senting part. This becomes then a species of Sec
tonal tyranny that undermines all law
Good government depends on popular interest in
government Obviously the more remote you make
the agencies of government the more the citizen
loses interest. You may satisfy him that he is
getting good government by giving him fine Federal
buildings, improving his rivers and harbors subsdiz
ing his industries, taking from the rich to ease the
poor and all that, but you are not helping him to
function good citizen He can't function that way
His government is too remote too far removed
That is what is happening now with all this
Capitalization; 1t is sapping the springs of political
vitality. That Is why men lose interest III politics
Why onehalf Of all voters fail to vote Why progress
sive political program is so difficult.
Let me say this in conclusion: am fighting for
the rehabilitation Of the States for the preservation
OF their rights under the Constitution; for larger
measure of selfgoverment and more vital state;
for less Capitalization and more naturalization; for
more reality in politics; for more interest Inc gov
eminent; for higher intelligence; for broader toll
erance-an because in the last analysis these are
factors in the great equation of political liberty This
is the one touchsone by which all government must
be tested. And I sincerely believe that our funda
mental liberties are in jeopardy.