Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-07

eminent picks those who run and also
those who win.
Whatever the merits or dement's of
these other systems may be, they all
mean the destruction of the driving
force of equal opportunity, and they
mean the destruction of our ConStitu-
ton, for our political framework would
serve none of them and many OF its
fundamental provisions are the mega
ton of them. They mean the aban-
donment of the Nations spiritual hertz
age.
1t is significant that some of these
systems deny religion and seek to expel
it. 1 cannot conceive OF wholesome
social order or sound economic system
that does not have its root in religious
faith. No blind materialism can for
long engage the loyalties of mankind.
Economic aspiration, though it strongly
marks the American system, it not an
end in ITSELF but only one of many in
strumentS to accomplish the profound
purposes of the American people, which
are largely religious in origin. This
country is supremely dedicated, not to
the pursuit of material riches, but to
pursuit of richer life for the in
dividual
Danger From Selfish Forces.
1t would be foolish for me to stand
here and say that our political and So
cial system works perfectly. 1t does
not. The human race is not perfect
yet. There are disheartening occur
renceS every hour of the day. There
are always malevolent or selfish forces
at work which, unchecked, would de-
stroy the very basis of our American
life. These forces of destruction vary
from generation to generation, and if
we would hand on our great inheritance
to our children we must successfully
contend with them.
While we cannot permit any foreign
person or agency to undermine our in
Stitutions yet we must look to our own
conduct that we do not, by our own
failure to uphold and safeguard the
true spirit of America, weaken our own
institutions and destroy the very forces
which upbuild our national greatness.
1t is in our own house that our real
dangers lie, and 1t is there that we
nave need to summon our highest wis
dom and our highest sense of public
service.
We must keep corruptive influences
from the Nation and its ideals as we
would keep them from our homes.
Crime and diSobedience of law are the
very incarnation of destruction to a
system whose basis is law. Both
pacifism and militarism court danger
from abroad, the one by promoting
weakness, the other by promoting ar
rogance. Failure of many of our citi-
zens to express their opinions at the
ballot box is at once their abandon
ment OF the whole basis Of Self-govern-
ment. Manipulation of the ballot is a
denial of government by the people.
Corruption or even failure of moral
perceptions in public Office defiles the
whole spirit of America. Mere de-
Structive criticism destroys leadership
and substitutes weaklings.
Any practice of business which would
dominate the country by its own selfish
interests is a destruction of equality of
opportunity Government in business,
except in emergency, is also a destruc-
ton of equal opportunity and the in
carnation Of tyranny through bu-
reaucracy. Tendencies of communities
and States to shirk their own RESPONSE
bilities or to unload them upon the
Federal Government. or of the Federal
Government to encroach upon the re-
sponsibilities of the States, are de-
structive of our whole pattern of self
government. But these evils cannot
Shatter our ideals or Subvert our insti-
buttons II we hold the faith. The
knowledge of danger is large part Of
its conquest.
1t is the first duty Of those Of us
who believe in the American system to
maintain a knowledge of and a pride
in it. not particularly because we need
fear those foreign systems, but because
We have need to sustain ours in purity
and in strength.
The test Of our system Of government
and of our social principles and ideals
as compared to others may in part
be interpreted by the practical results
nf nf hat hoU
brought to us the richness of life which
spreads through this great Nation.
can give you some measurement both
of our standards and of our social
progress In proportion to our popu-
lation, we have one-fourth more of our
children in grade schools than the most
advanced other country in Europe, and
for every thousand of our young people
we have 6l2 times as many in colleges
and universities. And I may add that
today we have more of our youth in