Evening star., 1932-11-01
EN- OF GOVERNMENT AT STAKE, HOOVER ASSERTS

undermined. Every enterprise of pri-
vate business Is at once halted to
know what Federal action Is going to
be. 1t destroys initiative and cour-
age. We can do no better than quote
that great statesman OF labor, the late
Samuel Gompers, in speaking OF a
similar situation:
1T Is question of whether it shall
be Government ownership or private
ownership under central. If I were
minority of one in this convention, l
would want to cast my vote so that
the men Of labor shall not willingly en-
slave themselves TO Government in
their industrial effort"
N0 Regimentation Of Men.
We have heard a great deal in this
campaign about reactionaries, consera-
tives, progressives, liberals and radicals.
l have not yet heard an attempt by
any one Of the orators who mouth these
phrases to define the principles upon
which they base these classilications.
There is one thing l can say without
any question of doubt-that is, that the
spirit of liberalism is to create free
men; it is not the RECOMMENDATION OF
men. 1t is not the extension of bureau
cracy. l have said In this city before
now that you cannot extend the mas
terry Of Government over the daily life
of people without somewhere making
1t master Of peoples souls and thoughts.
Expansion Of Government in business
means that the Government In order
to protect itself from the political con-
sequences Of its errors is driven ire
sistibly without peace to greater and
greater control of the Nations press
and platform. Free speech does not
live many hours after free industry
and free commerce die. II is false
liberalism that interprets Itself into
Government operation Of business.
Every step in that direction poisons the
very roots Of liberalism. 1t pCisonS po-
litical equality. free speech, free press,
and equality of opportunity. II is the
road not to liberty but TO less liberty.
True liberalism is found not in striving
to spread bureaucracy, but in striving
to set bounds to it. True liberalism
seeks all legitimate freedom first in the
confident belief that without such free
dom the pursuit Of other blessings is
In vain. Liberalism is a force truly
Of the spirit proceeding from the deep
realization that economic freedom can
not be sacrificed If political freedom IS
to be preserved.
Even If the Government conduct of
business could give us the maximum
OF efficiency instead of least efficiency,
it would be purchased at the cost of
freedom. 1t would increase rather
than decrease abuse and corruption,
stifle initiative and invention, under
mine development Of leadership, cripple
mental and spiritual energies of cur
people, extinguish equality Of opportu-
nifty, and dry up the spirit OF liberty
and progress Men who are going
about this country announcing that
they are liberals because Of their prom
ises to extend the Government in busi-
ness are not liberals, they are reaction
aries Of the United States.
And / do not wish to be misquoted
or misunderstood. I do not mean that
our Government is TO part with one
iota of its national resources without
complete protection to the public inter-
est. l have already stated that de-
mocracy must remain master in its own
house. / have stated that abuse and
wrongdoing must be punished and con-
trolled. Nor DO I wish TO be misin-
terpreted as stating that the United
States is a free-for-all and devil-take-
the-hindermost society.
System Is Not Perfect.
The very essence Of equality of op-
portunity Of our American system is
that there shall be no monopoly or
domination by any group or section in
this country, whether it be business
sectional or group interest. On the
contrary, our American system de-
mands economic justice as well as po-
htical and social justice, il is not a
system Of laiSseZ fare.
/ am not setting up the contention
that our American system is perfect.
No human ideal has even been per-
fectly attained, since humanity itself
is not perfect. But the wisdom Of our
forefathers and the wisdom of the 80
men who have preceded me in this
Office hold to the conception that prog
ress can only be attained as the sum
of accomplishments Of free individuals,
and they have held unalterably to these
principles.
In the ebb and flow Of economic life
our people in times Of prosperity and
ease naturally tend to neglect the vigi-
lance over their rights. Moreover.
Wrongdoing is ooscured by apparent
success in enterprise. Then iESidious
diseases and wrongdoings grow apace
But We have in the past seen IN times
Of distress and difficulty that wrong
doing and weakness come TO the sur
face and our people, in their endeavors
to correct these wrongs, are tempted to
extremes which may destroy rather
than build.
1t Is men who do wrong not our
institutions. 1t is men who violate the
laws and public rights. 1t is men, not
institutions, which must be punished.
In my acceptance speech four years
ago at Palo Alto / stated that "Cne OF
the oldest aspirations of the human
race was the abolition of poverty. BY
poverty I mean the grinding by under
nourishmen, cold. ignorance, fear of old
age to those who have the will 10
work"
! stated that I'm America today We