Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-19
BY REPRESENTATIVE J. O.. TLsoN

BY REPRESENTATIVE J. @. TILSON,
Majority Leader, House of Representatives.
In approaching a discussion of the
best method to meet present conditions
Of unemployment and consequent dis
tress, all will agree that cases of actual
want for the necessities of life must be
| dealt with in a manner BETTING a peo-
| pie already on a high plane Of civiliZa-
| ton. In one way or another the hungry
must be fed, the naked must be clothed
and the sick must receive proper atten-
| ton. Among thoughtful persons there
Is honest difference Of opinion only in
regard to what is the best and WiseSt
| methods of doing these things.
There are those who seem to regard
| the Federal Treasury as a great reser-
| voir of wealth coming from nowhere
| IL particular, but inexhaustible, so that
1t may be drawn upon indefinitely and
with tmpunity. They seem to regard
any funds drawn from the Treasury
as so much clear gain, so that the more
that Is appropriated the better for all
concerned. Those who hold this view.
or at least act upon 1t, would have local
communities, municipalities and SOW
ereign States dump their entire respon-
sibihty upon the broad shoulders of
field At any rate, this would be the
inevitable effect. for why should indi-
vidualS, charitable organizations, local
communities, municipalities or States
take upon themselves heavy and I'M
necessary burden when by bringing
pressure to bear upon Congress unlim-
tied funds may be appropriated from
an inexhaustible reservoir? Unfortu-
nately the name of those who think
thus specifically, If at all, is legion, and
herein lies the danger of appropriating
from the Federal Treasury for purposes
heretofore considered as the proper
field for benevolent and charitable in
stitutions. What will be the effect
upon such institutions? And, most i'm
portant of all, what will be the effect
upon the benefliciaries themselves and
upon our institutions as a whole? Once
begun, where will it all end? These
are serious and far-reaching questions
that should be carefully considered and
answered before rashly entering upon
such q policy.
No Place for DOIes.
There is no proper place in our dual
scheme of Federal and State Govern
ment for O system of doles from the
Federal Treasury. Ours is a Govern
menC Of limited powers and duties, all
else being properly left to the States
and to the people. I believe with
President Cleveland that there is mo
warrant for such an appropriation In
the Constitution, and do not believe
that the power and duty of the gen.
eral Government ought to be extended
to the relief of individual suffering,
which Is in no manner properly re-
lated to the public service" I further
agree with President Cleveland that
the prevalent tendency to disregard
the limited mission of this power and
duty should be steadfastly resisted, to
the end that the lesson should be con-
stantly enforced that though the people
support the Government, the Govern
ment should not support the people"
It cannot be successfully maintained
as an excuse for now adopting the
dole system that other proper means
for dealing with present conditions
have failed, so as to make a dole from
the Federal Treasury necessary. On
the contrary, not only have local COM