The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1928-11-28
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER %, 1928.
MIR. HOOVER TELLS OF WHAT HE
DOESN'T KNOW

N two columns of brief statements made on
different occasions by Mr.. Hoover we find
three that are particularly suggestive to us.
One of them is:
/ know how to make money and it no
longer interests me. 1 don't fully know
how government may best serve human
beings. That does interest me.
Ability to make money, that is, much money,
is gift. Few have it, and all want it. "When
/ learned to make money" very rich man once
said to us-and went on to fell something that
happened. But he did not tell us how he learned
r. to make it or how might learn to make it,
which what most desired to have him
do. He did, however, remark that four genera
lions of his family had been born with the COM
mercial instinct. Pondering over this, it occur
red to that great-grandfather with the COM
mercial instinct was what we needed-and we
did not have one.
What Mr.. Hoover does not 'fully know" is
how government may best serve human beings.
We have several million citizens who think they
know that and certainly the men responsible for
the Declaration of Independence and the United
States Constitution knew that the fundamental
requirements of sound government exceedingly
WELL But it is the administration of government
rather than its form that may serve people
best. 1t is administration we really vote for in
the presidential election Another remark of Mr..
Hoover, follows:
l am trying to keep the allies out of
Uncle Sans pockets, and l am having
hell of job.
We quote this utterance merely to show that
strong almost invariably use strong language
when engaged in great tasks that stir their emo
tions. By calling particularly exasperating
task hell of job" Mr. Hoover conveyed the
idea of the difficulties he then undergoing
better than he could have done by thousand
words of polite expression. His next utterance
is:
National character cannot be built by
law. 1t is the sum of the moral fiber of
its individuals.
What vast amount of disturbing controv-
ersy and illfeeling the country would avoid if its
minorities, and sometimes its majorties, under
stood this. We have groups all the land,
some large and some small, who think character
is matter of legislation. They are all feverish
to pass laws which they vanly believe will change
the hearts of the people. They are without
ception prohibtory and designed to limit free
will. "Thou shalt not" is the slogan of these
groups, not suasion. Most of them thrive on in
tolerance. They want to bend the people to their
own will and compel them to change their habits
and beliefs by passing a new law. Nearly all of
them are, in greater less degree, busy-bodies
and meddlers. Character is moral quality in
man. Laws, as Mr.. Hoover, says, do not make
it, although in a the laws of nation
fleet its character. But character comes first
1t is not made by law. The law is result or
should be.
If all these impertinent seekers for new
laws devoted themselves to improving the char
acter of the people, the laws would naturally fol-
low. The United States Constitution did not
make character of the colonists. Their charac-
ter made the Constitution Chicago Journal of
Commerce.