Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-07


"Present business conditions are an
invitation, and individual distress an
excuse. to some OF those seeking public
ofrce to attack our economic structure.
Inevitably our legislatures,
especially in the more industrial States,
viii be pressed to consider Creconomic
measures. Proposals for governmental
interference with economic law VIII
doubtless be numerous"
So spoke Redfield Proctor tnen presit
dent OF the New England Council, at
a meeting of that organization last
September. His warning has been
ablndantly fulfilled, for in every Legis-
lature in session since then just sucn
proposals have been offered. They
give emphasis to the fact, perhaps not
accorded due prominence in the pre-
vious articles In this series, tnaC tne
trend toward socialistic paternalism Is
and long has been marked In the state
and local governments. Indeed, State
and local ventures into such unsound
enterprises as bank deposit guarantee
laws, politically controlled rural credit
establishments. State-owned and oper-
ated cement manufacturing plants,
State coal mines, State insurance
schemes of all sorts, ranging from In
dlIstriai accident insurance to hail
storm insurance and even dog-btte in
surance, have contributed largely to the
extraordinary increase in public debts
and taxation.
Costly to Taxpayers.
Such experiments, all costly to the
Taxpayers, all tending to relieve the IN
and to instill In his mind the idea OF
reliance on governmental action for
material dement's, have had a large part
in developing the increased demands
on the Federal Government. The III
dividua1 feels the pinch OF burdensome
taxation, the result of advancing State
paternalisfn, and Is ripe for the prop
aaandist Of socialism who tells him he
should turn his attention now 70 the
super-state that operates from Wash
inaton. And the State governing
authorities, desperate in the face OF
their indignant taxpayers and yet fear
full of retreating from the policies they
have adopted, are overwilling TO sur
render authority to the Federal Coy
ernment If only the Federal dollars can
be brought into help pay the bills.
The ideal of local government, 80
frnnortant A part of the structure OF
American institutions, Is lost sight OF,
cities and towns, under the urging OF
the paternalists, sometimes Wllllngly
and sometimes unwtllmgly, observe
control of their most intimate and local
state Government, a confession OF their
own inability to govern themselves. The
next natural step is for the surrender
by the State of authority to the Fed
eral Government.
president Hoover once said. more in
reference 70 the second than to the
first step. though his remarks are APP
plicable to both:
~, Is. 4, part Of the fullness Of life
that we should live and participate in
the government OF our local commune
ties: that is, local government that
neither wishes its responsibilities on 10
a centralized bureaucracy nor allows
bureaucracy to dictate to that local
government. Nor do believe the peo-
Me of our communities have yet be-
come 40 supine or so careless OF the
fundamental advantages OF self-govern-
Tnent that they are ready 10 SURRENDER
control Of their most intimate concerns
IN 4 Maternal Government at washing
to, however wise or powerful 1t may De-
Home Is whole Object.
"I have often said in other connec-
tions that, after all. the object OF our
whole social and economic system is the
family and the home, with its 1noe-
pendence, its freedom and Its comfort
and IL we are to set up more systems
of alien regulation and bureaucratic
domination we shall inevitably unoer-
mine many of these treasured essentials
of our national and family life:
It Is recognized. OF course, tnat IN
constitutional sense there Is far more
reason for the State and the National
Government to 60 socialistic and TO as
sumo an extraordinary degree OF pater-
naltSrn. for the States have fewer linz
itations than has the Federal Gov
\ eminent The latter, trite though the
observation may be, Is government OF
limited powers, established Tor certain
Stitution the taxing power OF Congress
is described in that clause which says
that Congress shall have power Ito lay
and collect taxes, duties, imposts and
excuses, to pay the debts and provide
for the common defense and general
welfare Of the United States"
Opponents Of Federal subsidies TO the
States maintain that even this gen
eral welfare" phrase gives no authority
to Congress TO grant money TO the
States for the performance OF State
duties.
Subsidy Measures Unconstitutional.
The Subsidy measures are uncon-
stitutional in that they inject the Fed
eral Government into activities not del
ecated to the central government by the
provisions Of the Constitution declared
Frank L. Peckham, vice president OF the
Sentinele Of the Republic, when appear
ing recently before a senatorial COM
mfttee.
'They provide for the diversion from
Federal activities to purely State and
local activities OF funds collected
through the Federal taxing power for
Federal purposes. Through control
over the Federal appropriations OF gov
ernmental bureaus In washington, they
assume virtual control over the activi-
ties Of State and local authorities en-
gagged IN various local enterprises. They
tend to standardize methods Of dealing
with various human problems and dis
courage local experimentation, which
has always proved 70 be the most ef-
fective means Of trying out and deter
mining the value or useleSsness OF
methods OF handling social problems.
They are usually put forward for the
avowed purpose OF stimulating the
state and local authorities TO embark
called social welfare work. They usually
succeed not only In forcing State and
local authorities TO adopt methods die
tated by bureaucratS In washington. but
in reducing States to the conditions OF
stiHnulant addicts. unable TO continue
their activities without constantly en-
larged doses of financial stin1ulant from
the Federal Treasury"
Hughes Sees Danger.
Excellent legal arguments have been
advanced In rebuttal 70 demonstrate
that the general welfare clause author
ICES at least such financial grants as the
Federal Government has been making
to the States. But even the present
Chief Justice Of the United States,
Charles Evans Hughes, who once, as q
private attorney, wrote a brief uphold
ing the constitutionality of subsidies,