Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1932-03-04

strong and well, and q Southerner like
myself likes to think of the South, with
all its ancient pride and ardor, lead
ing the procession of the States in soiv-
ing the Nations problems, as it did In
the formative days of the Republic. .
THE old South saw life in terms OF
living of social cooperation, OF intelli-
gent leisure. of educated leadership, Of
noblesse oblige. 1t was hvaole ana q
lovable civilization. 1t regarded pon-
tics as a real function OF organized NE
and not as a selfish end. IL TOOK us
political thinking seriously.
You may almost say that polltlcal
thinking began in the South. Here was
written our Declaration of 1ndepend-
ence- Here were formulated most Oh
those poLtical ideals and theories whiF7
have stood the test of time. belle'e
it is not too much to say that you can
here find precept and example TO meet
all the governmental and social prob
lens of the hour. and that in very
truth these problems call for that high
tvpe of patriotism, resolution and clear
thinking which Is your heritage.
Defeated by Democrats
Alexander Hamilton and his Federal,
ist associates proposed centrallzeo
autocracy. with President ana
Senate selected for life, and Governors
appointed by the President, out Is was
the Democrats Of the South who tougnt
and defeated this Hamiltonlan idea OF
a government for the Wen-oorn, tne
wealthy ard the elite.
They builded instead on faith in the
worth and value and dignity OF human
beings. faith in mans right to the fruits
and rewards of his own energies and
labor: faith in Ameican self-nltlatiVe;
in American self-reliance and In
American self DIFFERENTIATION; faith In
the average honesty and integrity OF
the average man and in his capability
to govern himself.
Here it was taught that the Federal
Government should stay in the Federal
sphere allotted it by the Federal Con-
stitution. and refrain from invading the
domain reserved to the States and from
impairirg or whiting down the liber-
ties Of the people. The right of free
people to the free pay of their free
energies in q free country was your
political creed. The integrity of the
Constitution and the vitality of the bill
of rights was your political faith.
Attacks Federal Control.
There seems to be a strange diSpo-
Sition in some quarters now to put the
brand of backwardness on those of US
who believe in holding fast to safe
moorings like these, and in recognizing
that they have proved their soundnesS
by their success
But why should We stand supinely
by while the Federal Government builds
up huge Federal bureaucracy. with its
red tape and incompetence, its waste
and extravaganza, its downright en-
croachment On the duties and functions
of the States, its excursions into the
DOMAIN of private business and initia-
tive, and its amazing increase in the
army of taX-fed office holders?
why should We look on complacent-
ly while the Federal Government spends
millions and millions of dollars of the
taxpayers money, in the vain hope of
enabling the farmer TO lift himself
up by his own bootstraps, while the only
thing actually done is to show us that
the law Of supply and demand still
works?
why talk about tariff for the bene-
fit of American industry and American
labor and then pass one which destroys
our ability to do business with the
world and which encourages American
industry to migrate abroad, and there
employ foreign labor at time when our
home labor is out of a job?
Promotes Home Rule.
"Why persist in a system of national
prohibition which does not and cannot
prohibit which makes towards and
hypocrites of men in high places, which
promotes intemperance and not tenn
perance-instead of applying the ira
ditional Democratic doctrine of home
rule, which will enable the South to
handle the problem in the way its cir
cumStances and needs require, and at
the same time will recognize that other
sections of the country have their prob
lens, too, and should be permitted to
settle them in accordance with their
own conditions and convictions?
II could go on. but time forbids. All
I am pleading for is that We do not
forget the fundamental political ele-
ments which have made us great
nation and free people, and that we
crush all tendencies to tamper with our
political foundations in any way which
might jeopardize the whole govern
mental Superstructure
After all, the American system is the
product of centuries of social and eco
nomic evolution. Under it, liberty no
longer depends, as it did of old, upon
the benevolence or grace of govern
mental authority. 1t is protected by
the limitations and the boundaries of
granted and definitely circumscribed
power
when men who craved freedom
thronged to our coast-the Plymouth