The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-06-28
TAE CRIME
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IO/ y. 6. SENATOR From MISSOURI
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enlargement, tAaJ LLle NATURAL L6ll-
dency Of each mind is TO impose its
conclusions upon others. They
sought by division of power be-
tween the states and the federal
government to limit the powers OF
the latter. They divided the pow
ers of the federal government
among three coordinate branches
each a check upon the other.
Their supreme effort YVES to re-
tain in the people the power to pre-
vent tyranny and to redress all
wrongs.
How have we kept the faith?
In order to. establish justice
land secure the blessings of lib
erty. the manufacture, sale or
transportation of intoxicating
liquors for beverage purposes is
hereby prohibited.
This miserable, snivelling, logical
and moral non sequitur is the cul-
mination of a spirit that long has
been at work.
Almost at the beginning, follow
ing hard upon the heels of the
revolution, the process of enlarging
federal authority began. The
process was at first slow-then more
rapid. 1t received an immense
impetus when a great political
party had as its slogan: Let us
have a nation with big N" 1t
was asserted that when state had
failed to exercise any of its powers,
they by some mysterious process
we're transferred to the federal gov
eminent.
There began the craze to enact
every kind of federal statute which
could by any conception of the
imagination be brought within the
bounds of badly stretched consti-
tuition.
A saturnalia of federal law max
ing began. It has reached its flood
tide in our own day.
LIVERY legislature followed suit.
IL When the first heat of the race
was over and the legislative lords
paused to take breath, the old
maxim, that people is governed
best which is governed least" had
been buried beneath a mass Of stat
utes which sought to control, regu-
late or coerce almost every activity
of man.
To enforce these innumerable
laws, regulations and rules horde
of officials, tax gatherers, shoppers
and spies swarm over the land like
the lice Of Egypt devouring the sub
stance of the people; prying into
their private affairs, regulating their
habits, daily intercourse, trade and
business, and even poisoning sup
plies of alcohol that they know will
be consumed by countless victims.
What wonder that the average
man has come to regard the law
as a sword of oppression rather
than shield of protection? Is not
the crying need of the hour the
disarmament of this official army of
meddlers, the repeal of these re-
strictions upon individual liberty,
the return to the states of their
natural and just authority. to the
end that we may bring the federal
government back to it's original sim
plicity?
Basically, these regulatory stat
utes are mistaken or vicious be-
cause they invade the realm of
morals.
We seek to do by legislative en-
actment that which belongs to the
school, the church, the home. We
fail because a constable, a prohibit
ton spy, or a jailer can not take the
place of n minister of the true
Christ, neither can the coercion of a
police matron or the denunciations
of female informer be substituted
for the preceptS of a mother.
Like it or not, the cold fact is
that no people will obey law they
do not respect. And no law can be
enforced by officers of the law
which is not in the vast majority of
instances voluntarily obeyed and
enforced.