Evening star., 1932-01-24
R|TCH|E SEESLAWS
USURP|NC RIGHTS
Governor Tells New York Bar
Government Has Become
One OF Commissions.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, January ga Gov
ernment OF law, under which men a
least knew what their rights were" ha,
been superseded in this country, Gov
Albert G. Ritchie of Maryland de-
clared today, "by a Government o.
commissions, until men do not know
whether they have any rights at all
Mr.. Ritchie is among the men fire.
ouently mentioned for the Democratic
presidential nomination.
There is hardly phase Of your life
from the cradle to the grave, from tbs
cellar of your home to the contents OF
your pocketbook, into which some Fed
eral official cannot pry," he told men,
bers of the judicial section of the New
York State Bar Association.
Defense Of Liberty Urged.
He urged the lawyers to take up the
torch for the guarantees of constitu-
tional government and ordered liberty
"All the while we see the temperance
of our people impaired" he said, land
the morals Of our youth threatened
through an attempt to mix Up morals
politics and legislation, by pltting tbs
question of prohibition in the Consti-
tuition, where it ought not to be. In
stead of leaving it to the States, where
as a matter of sound Government it
should be-"
The bar association, the committee
reported, was urged to back the extern
sion of legal aid societies and the ap-
pointment of public defenders through
out the State.
Freedom of Individual.
Gov. Richie spoke in part as fol-
lows:
Through the ages the political prob
lem has always been how to reconcile
the powers OF Government with the
liberties of the individual, and always
Government has overwhelmed liberty,
because there was no sovereign power
superior to Government which could
protect the individual against an excess
of governmental authority.
The freedom of the individual
against despotic power depended only
upon the benevolence of Government
itself, and soon or late governmental
benevolence developed into govern
mental intolerance and tyranny.
1--WE undertook to solve the problem
in this country through a political
system whereby the liberties Of the
people no longer depend upon the grace
or favor of governmental authority, but
whereby governmental authority was
itself granted and defined, circum-
scribed and limited by the sovereign
people themselves, and our philosophy
of personal freedom was declared and
protected by the guarantees OF bill
Of rights.
Struggle in New World.
"This system of Government was the
product Of the experiences and ideals
of the long years of colonial de-
mocracy struggling for those privileges
and opportunities of self-government
and self.expression.
Our system represents many COM
promises and adjustments, some OF
which even reflect the fears and dan
gers of democracy itself, and these have
helped to make it workable. But It's
vitality does not come from that. Is
abiding strength lies in the fact that
it was born of the people and gave
expression to the traditions, ideals and
free spirit that animated them in their
century-old struggle for sef-govern-
ment.
tenn Of ours has nourished and devel-
oped-the American ideal of Govern
nent-may not be easy to define ex-
actly. Some call our system capital
ism, but that term is misleading. In
dividualism is nearer right.
But, by whatever name you call 1t,
the American ideal rests on the free
play of individual endeavor.
Progress, science, education, chang
ing standards and ideals the lift of
civilization, all give rise TO desires
which men strive to satisfy for their
comfort, their happiness and their
prosperity.
Modern Mans Right.
American institutions assure to the
modern man his freedom to work ID
create, to acquire and TO rlse-freedom
to toll for his own aggrandizement and
for more of the good things of life
freedom to engage in the competitive
exploitation and utilization of earth's
natural resources in farm or mine.
freedom to share in the development OF
all those discoveries which science and
progress are constantly making avail
able.
This American ideal of sef-initia-
tive. self-expreSsion and Self-determlna-
tion has actually come true under the
American system Of Government IL
is worth fighting for, and If it is now
threatened / believe we must look for
ITS preservation to that accumulated
wisdom we call the law and to that
accumulated experience we call social
Justice. It is on these jural and So
cial foundations that our whole su-
perstructure in its last analysis rests.
by social foundations mean very
much more than personal virtue ot
Righteousness. I mean those things
which after all are the elements OF
strength of any society-the urge Tor
economic right, the spirit OF co-opera-
tion the love of liberty, high charac-
ter and the like. We must not over
look the significance to Government OF
maintaining the integrity Of society's
social foundations.
Law and Social Justice.
ct stress the point here because the
relation between law and social justice
in this broad sense is very close.
There is no question Of human re-
lationships and efforts or Of govern
mental policy that does not filter
through the judicial crucible.
the United States Supreme Court
was perhaps the most revolutionary
contribution made by the founders OF
the Republic in their great experiment
in democratic Government. 1t was
necessary, of course, to preserve tran
Quillity between the Federal and the
State Governments, to keep each within
the sphere allotted TO each, and TO as
sure the stability Of the Union.
I'm truth it established the Union
because when in the beginning great
popular forces were blind to our re-
sponsibilities as a Nation, and the ques-
ton was whether our Government was
TO function nationally or be merely
compact of States, it was John Mar
shall who made the Central Govern
ment supreme and enduring in itt
sphere, and gave 1t vitality anc
economic unity.
Protection Of the Law.