Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-24

to argue about the importance Of lib
erty and the dangers OF bureaucracy.
One did not have to explain the dis
comforts of tyranny and despotism.
Today, we are suffering from the
curse of too much government and
yet many good people are urging us to
amend the Constitution so as to give
the central Government even more
power. they see the immediate benefits
OF paternalism. They fail to appreciate
its deadening quality"
Continuing, Senator Bingham cited
the immigration of millions of Euro
peans who lack the same background of
law and the appreciation OF local self
government which the colonials pos
Sessed and who have the racial and
historic background which leads them
to look to paternal government for
guidance and support"
Willingness of Sacrifice.
There also are many citizens. de-
scended from American colonial stock,
who in recent years have been willing
to sacrifice State rights and personal
liberty for the sake Of greater efficiency
IN government, larger contributions from
the United States Treasury and the
forcible securing Of worthy ideals by
law. rather than voluntarily by public
opinion. This Is particularly true of
the officers of some of the women's or
CARNATIONS who are actuated by I'M
selfish motives" the Senator added.
Continuing, he said:
There has been tremendous amount
Of emotion rather than sound reason
connected with much of the legislation
which has earnestly been sought by well
organized groups Of well meaning citi-
Gems. In many cases, our legislators
nave been carried away by emotional
pleas and have created commissions and
bureaus which have issued rules and
regulations depriving us of our liberty
IN the name of efficiency and uni
formity."
In this connection, the Connecticut
Senator pointed out that it is Every
dfhcult" to oppose legislation which
will grsnt immediate relief.
1T is difficult" he explained, "be-
cause the immediate end is seen to be
good and few people care to bother
about the ultimate result"
Whenever the Constitution stands in
the way OF this type of legislation. Sem
stor Bingham declared there Is a wide
popular clamor for a change In the Con-
stitution. He said:
There is just as much danger today
as there was then that strong central
government will build UP a powerful
bureaucracy which will in turn deprive
us Of our liberties and interfere with our
rational freedom Of action. The trainers
of the Constitution believed that indi-
vidual liberty should be curtailed only
in so far as public safety and order
make necessary. Acting on this belief
and under this fundamental principle,
the United States has grown great and
powerful.
Agitation for Restriction.
Recently. however, there has been
constant agitation to restrict individual
liberty for reasons Of morality and eff
cheney, and not because the public
safety and order required it. Curiously
enough, some Of the most bitter critics
OF government are themselves constantly
suggesting governmental action as a
cure for social and economic ills"
Pointing out that representative gov
eminent is one OF the underlying prin-
ciples Of the Constitution Senator
Bingham explained that through this
policy the people chose officials to rep
resent thsm whose duty it is to give
their time. their attention and their
best though to the problems of gov
eminent" because they, themselves have
little time to devote to such mattsrs.
Nevertheless" the Senator contin-
ued, there is constant tendency on
the part OF many Of our public men to
urge that We get away from repre-
sentative government and go over into
the field of pure democracy" The evils
OF pure democracy, he added, have
been pointed out so often by political
writer's from the days of Aristotle
down to the present." that further en-
largement upon them is unnecessary.
Referring again to the Constitution
In his conclusion, Senator Bingham de-
clared:
The Constitution represents the wis
dom OF a homogeneous, self-governing
people who dearly priced personal lib
erty and who appreciated the dangers
of too much government. Any inter-
ference with the development of in
d1vidualism Is ultimately disastrous.
Each man should be free to make his
own mistakes, not because such mis-
taxes are few, but because their repres-
sion by governmental commissions and
bureaus involves also a repression of
the possibilities of good progress. The
worlds great inventions and improve
mentS have been made by individual
initiative and adopted reluctantly by
Government bureaus and commissions.
Inc Constitution favorS individualism.
1t tries to leave the people free to
make their own mistakes, trusting that
the successful experiment will be fol-
lowed and the unsuccessful one aban-
doned.' The community profits from
the errors made and learns wisdom
thereby.
The present tendency toward pater-
nalism In government will ultimately re-
strict the growth and development OF
the Nation, because it represents the
wisdom of the present rather than the
possibilities of the future. Centralized
authority may give us immediate adj
Vantages and enable us to avoid grave
mistakes, but 1t is sure to retard growth
and kill the chances for that future
development which comes only as re-
suit OF individual initiative and expert
mentation.
The principles of our Constitution
are based on careful study Of history,
an appreciation OF the strength and
weakness Of human nature, and sound
reasoning The dangers of emotional
appeal are avoided On the other hand,
the way to rational progress is favored.
For the sake of our country'S future
and our own happiness, 1t is most inn
nortant to understand and appreciate
the principles on which it is based.
Mr.. Leigh discussed briefly, in his
Introductory, the place of the spoken