Evening star., 1932-08-27

Defines Government Aims.
Concerning the aims Of Government.
he said
ut is not the business Of Govern
ment to make individuals rich, though
! too often has Government been bent
, to that purpose Nor is 1t function OF
an administration to direct the per
! sonal affairs of mankind, except in so
far as it places a bar against such
things as involve injury. loss or dis
comfort on others. l have ever been
of the belief that attempting to enforce
morals by law was as unjuStiflab'e an
invasion of the field pre- empted by the
churches and schools as putting the
Government into business is violation
of the Nations industrial and COM
mercial fabric.
with regard to the foreign debt"
he said. Il fully subscribe to the Demo-
cratic platforms statement. I oppose
cancellation"
Praising Gov Franklin d. Roosevelt
for courage, humanity and skill in
government" he pledged himself Ito
do my utmost to the limit of my
capacity
The Garner letter follows:
UVALDE. Tex.
August %. 1892.
: Honorable Alben W. Barkley,
Paducah, Ky
My dear Senator: Through you I
desire to express to those who we're
delegates to the Democratic National
Convention, and to the Democrats of
the country my appreciation of the
great honor that has been conferred
| in selecting me as the partys nominee
for Vice President. With full knowl-
edge of the responsibilities and labors
involved. L accept the nomination.
pledging adherance to the principles
and policies enunciated in the party's
platform I give the assurance that
such ability as I may possess. and such
experience as I have acquired during
the 80 years it has been my privilege
to serve as a member of Congress. will
be directed toward the solution of the
| problems with which our country is
confronted.
The Democratic National Conven-
ton adopted platform that is bea-
con of confidence to a confused and
| distressed people. In its nomination
for the presidency our party has pre-
sented a leader of ability, resourceful-
ness and determination. Gov. Roose-
| welt has won the Nations confidence
I, by his craftsmanship, his sympathetic
| grasp VI Iullld4l PIOb4Ciho, Nodl dSC
4 in meeting emergencies and overcom-
! ing obstacles With a platform clear
and concise in dealing with the issues
! and a presidential candidate whose
! ideals are embodied therein. the Demo-
| cratic party can look forward with
| confidence to the expression Of the
popular will in November.
Two Things to Government.
There are Just two things to this
| Government as l see it. The first is to
safeguard the lives and properties Of
! our people; the second to insure that
| each of us has a chance to work out
| his destiny according to his talents
| This involves protecting him from be-
| ing injured or oppressed by those OF
| superior acquisitiveness, and perhaps
less conscience, who seek to strain the
rules to their own advantage.
In my opinion nearly all OF our
civic troubles are the consequence OF
\ governments departure from its legiti-
mate functions. Our increased popu-
| lation and new conditions arising from
| new inventions often make it necessary
| to change the rules in order to keep the
balance between the people and those
who would exploit them. Unfortunate
! ly. these changes and adjustments re-
| suit too often in enhancing instead OF
diminishing the evils.
It is not the business Of government
to make individuals rich; though too
often has government been bent to
that purpose. Nor is it function OF
an administration to direct the per-
sonal affairs Of mankind, except in so
far as it places a bar against such
things as involve injury, loss or dis
comfort on others. I have ever been
of the belief that attempting to en-
force morals by law was as uniustiflable
an invasion of the field tempted by
the churches and schools as putting
the Government into business Is a
violence of the Nations industrial and
commercial fabric.
Government is not a pedagogue, nor
a parson nor Pied Piper; it is merely
convenience of civilization by which
a set of rules is enforced on COM
munity in the interest Of order and
justice.
Government Encroachment.
Had it not been for the steady en-
croachment of Federal Government on
the rights and duties reserved for the
States we perhaps would not have the
present spectacle of the people rushing
to Washington to set right whatever
goes wrong But successive admins
trations have encouraged this spirit OF
dependence on government, either be-
cause of the lust for additional power
on the part of Federal officials, or
simply because of blind insistence on
the Hamiltonian principle OF a strong,
centralized government, as opposed to
the Jeffersonian idea of giving to the
administration at Washington only
such functions as the States them
selves cannot perform. This is not
the time or place for a dissertation on
the ancient conflict between two schools
of government. The gravtation OF
power to Washington has builded a
structure of administration vast beyond
the imagination of the builders Of the
nstitution-complex, involved and
unco-ordinated: a fabric OF bureaus
commissions, boards and departments
that overlap and interfere one with the
other-and all at the cost Of tn:
people.
am fully cognizant Of the distress
which prevails and the magnitude oi
the problems confronting the country
"Outside influences over which we have
no control" are not wholly accountable
for the depression and its attendant
unemployment and distress. as Presi'
dent Hoover contends. 1t is true tha'
these are contributing factors, but tht
, | ma jor causes can De 1ound IN lne rec
, ord OF national legislation and tht
, national policies for which the Repub'
lican leaders are wholly responsible.
The Republican party has failed tt
adapt its policies to changing condi
tions. to recognize that the evolutionar!
processes of government must go for
ward to meet ever changing human
needs. Despite the fact that experience
has proved the fallacy and inadequac!
Of manv of their policies, their spokes
men inform US there will be no chang'
. that these policies. which have prove
E so disastrous. will be adhered to so lont
as they remain in power
They ignore the fact that the un
precedented era of speculation which
preceded the bursting Of the bubble II
3 1929 was hailed by Republican leader
as a prosperity of their own making