The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1930-10-17
7heCherry
/" Where with oar
roc Little Hatchet
we tell the truth
about many things. sometimes pro-
foundly, sometimes hippantly,
sometimes recklessly.

minions in the British government, re-
membered in the United States as
fraternal delegate to the Denver A.
f. of L. convention, has made state
ment that clinches most important
phase of empire policy.
Thomas, forecasting the imperial
conference, says that nobody in Eng
land any longer questions the right
of dominions to secede from the
British empire.
Thomas, who is by no means with
out an abundance of ready wit, says,
you can't prevent man from shoot
ing himself" So, if dominions want
to clear out, they are free to do so,
and take the consequences that go
with separation.
Thus full sanction is at last given
to an act that is contemplated by
none of the dominions, unless it be
South Africa
The British empire has changed it's
character constantly, bending before
the constant pressure of the breezes
that blow across great expanses of
territory where self-government has
been nurtured with the growth of
enlightened peoples.
The change has been rapid since
the World War. Today the British
government is a commonwealth of
nations, held by voluntary tie in
allegiance to the crown.
1t is the only intelligent way in
!. which to hold either nations or peo-
Piles together in permanence.
The American Federation of Labor
has for a half century been held to-
gether. on the principle now stated by
j. H. Thomas. Bound only by volun-
tary ties it has grown stronger year
by year.
The United States of America can
profit to some extent by the devel-
opment of self government within the
British empire. Our states are with
in a voluntarily formed union, but
they may not depart voluntarily
from that union.
That being the case it is more i'm
portant that there be scrupulous OBJ
servance of the rights of states, for
transgression of those rights can lead
only to dissent and dissatisfaction.
The happy tie can-and don't forget
it-become yoke.
That there has been transgression
of the rights of states is all too clear.
Some transgression has been we'll
intended, but not wanted.
There are those who are all for
more and more transgression; there
are those who are for less and less.
The slogan about the less of gov
ernment we have the better is good
and it is sound. The question is how
to apply it in an age that seems to
throw more and more problems at the
feet of government.
Perhaps we need to get a new
idea about the functions of govern
ment.
But with that we must get new
ideas about the functions of other
organized factors-such as business
and labor unions.
Reactionary business interests
standing in the way of the develop
ment of organized functioning by
labor and employers, stand in the way
of the only thing that can give us
less government They are enemies
of the rights of the states and the
enemies of liberty loving persons who
want to keep all government within
its proper province.
The complexities of modern civil
zation require control. If control car
not be had in the right place it will
be tried in the wrong place.
Until we get straight about which
is the right place we shall probably
continue to have more and more gov
ernment, less and less untrammelleC
rights Of states.