Evening star., 1931-05-08
PATERNAL|SM HIT
BY |ND|vDUALISTS
Federal Aid to Assist States
Help Themselves Is Goal
for Character Building.
This Is the last Of series OF
articles on pdterndHsttc trends IN
government.
RY AsHMUN BROWN.

fane of the ever increasing demands or
the public treasury and can the FED
eral authority contribute to sowing tnt
social problems Of machine age wtn-
out becoming hopelessly bureaucraIlcr
These are pertinent questions WHY.
preceding articles in this series have
q{yen to the clash between the tndivldu.
slistic and the paternalistic ideals tnal
now occupies so much OF nauona
thought. - =.
n would appear inevitable that u
demands on the National Treasury Ioi
cash benefits to groups, sucn as eX-
emplif1ed in the mounting costs 10 tne
Veterans Bureau. continue.to be grant
ed. the spirit OF sef-renance ana H mae. .
nendence that has been 30 proud 2
Possession of d e American people vii
he sacrificed. Benefits to one GROUP
surely will invite agitations for dement's
to other groups OF political importance
succeeding Congresses subservient tc
groun demands cannot be relied upon
to deny them.
Would Stife Initiative.
Likewise. the further projection Of
government into business In competitfon
with private enterprise would certainly
operate to discourage initiative and stlne
that open opportunity that has con-
tributed so much to making the Nation
the envy and admiration OF all others
Between those who seek the Federal
dollar as o means of taking a JOY r1oe
through life and those who would pu'
into the monopolistic hands OF the Gov
eminent public services and great com
nercial and industrial enterprises, the
National Treasury is in the way ol
beinr called upon to bear q burden the
weight of which would be greater even
than that borne during the war period,
Then there are the demands tnal
come from tax-buYdened States for
Federal assistance in education, in social
welfare and in promoting what Is urged
as the means Of attaining q higner
level of living Among these are some
so appealing in character ana 50 aptIy
f1t.sno into the reafiireme1ts of the COM
nlexities of modern civilization that they
raise A serious question as TO whether
they are not, after all, proper Junction
p,1t oyer All lies the shadow Of the
doIIars-and-cents cost, and likewise the
shadow of an impoverishment OF ma,
tional character.
PaternalIsts Defend High Taxes.
Government gratuities, Government
guarantees Of economic stability In al
W
r1ent operation Of utilities and Dusi-
ness enterprises, all experience has
shown, imply larger drains on Govern
T,oent income. which in al cases pro-
ceeds from the people. The paternal-
list. whether he calls himself Pro-
rressive, q Socialist or Communisg.
admitting the fact, tustifes the pro,
posal on the grounds that 1t Woulo
produce a wholesome redistribution OF
the national income" and result In an
elevation of the average material stand
ard of national life.
The individualist on the other hano
maintains that directly opposite results
would be entailed. High taxes, pro-
claims former Presidents Coolidgey fal-
ways keep the people poor, emphaslze
the cleavage between the classes ana
retard the distribution Of wealth.
President Hoover takes the same
position as to the evils Of oyer-taxation.
Also the President and the tndividual-
lists generally maintain that excessive
Government and high taxes operate to
vitiate and sap the qualities OF sell
reliance, energy and initiative that form
the American character. while robbing
the people Of opportunity to advance
themselves. They poise their conten-
tions not merely on material, put on
spiritual values as well. They oppose
the creation Of nation Of dependents.
The government of such a nation,
President Hoover has suggested. would
drift into the hands OF timorous
mediocrities dominated by groups until
we shall become syndicalist nation on
Q gigantic scale"
Alarmed by Trends.
Individualists are alarmed by the long
steps that have been taken already in
that direction. With the total earn
ings Of all the people IN the United
Statee-the figure Of national income,
in other understanding in 1890 at
SS4, 900 900 900, o total Of $l3, 1000 ,000, 900
was taken from It for government,
State, local and national taxes, or 1916
per cent. That is of every 500 earned
Sl546 had to be taken on before any
Parenthetically, the Federal tax gath
erers could f1nd only $34, 900 ,000, 900 OF
income on which to levy taxes, leaving
more than $40 900 900 900 not represent
ed in income tax returns, being the
earnings Of those below the Federal
income taxing standard.
The multiplication Of Government
functions and Government outlays has
brought with 1t that which frtgf1tenS
the individualist still more than the
actual money cost, namely q seeming
deterioration in national character.
This has been exhibited In the past
year in the energy with which groups,
states, communities and individuals
have sought what has been termed
handouts from the Federal Govern
ment."
The realist in politics appreciates fully
that the tendency so exhibited cannot
be ignored Neither can be ignored the
fact that the Federal Government has
an obligation upon IL to preserve that
which Is best in existing American in
situationS and scheme OF government
What Is that best?
Is it not the principle Of self-govern-
ment, independence OF the individual,
free opportunity to acquire both ma
terial and spiritual riches in a race
in which the Government Is the umpire
TO guarantee fair play, and Is 1t not
found in the traditional spirit Of self
reliance?
Must Cure Abuses.
Where, then. should the line be drawn
IN an appraiSement of the mounting
demands on the Federal Government,
the line separating the evil from the
good?
The determining test. 1t would appear,
is that which would measure the pro-
posals by the degree to which they
contribute to the retention OF those
>et.sx4ys Just mentioned, which, In sum,
spen the American character.
That the Government can and must
cure abuses of the existing system Is
automatic. That it can give leadership
to and serve to bring together divergent
elements and secure cooperation In de-
velopment OF ideas. measures and In
stttutions. Is apparent, and such actions
do not cripple Initiative and enterprise
on the part of the people. They
strengthen the whole foundation OF the
Nation for self-government outside Of
political government.
Duties Of Government.
1t is also apparent that both State