The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1933-11-09
Pictures the Conditions With
Which American People
Are Confronted
(By Lou Benshoff)

(By Lou Benshoff)
During a somewhat aggressive
experience of 40 years in the news
paper profession I have, of neces-
sity, cultivated the habit of analyz-
ing current events, both local and
foreign, and throughout all that
period I have never been charged
with lack of optimism, but rather
credited with the possession of a
profound faith in both my fellow
men and the greatness of this Ma
ton in which every American takes
such a commendable pride.
However, for the past two de-
cades I have viewed with grave
concern and no little genuine alarm
the subtle but ever-increasing de-
parture of our citizenry from what
, seemed to me were the fundament-
al principles of a system of group
government such as is contemplat-
ed by the Constitution of the Unit
ed States. I have, both by spoken
and written word voiced my disap-
prevail of and opposition to this,
but with very little visible effect
other than in an imnaterial local
area.
During the past few years I have
witnessed the fullfllment of some
of my prophesies and today I OBJ
serve both with regret and added
concern, that thousands of my fell
low citizens are in such a bewild-
cred state of mind that nearly all
heretofore recognized principles of
sound and constructive government
have been discarded-temporarily
at least, and because of the prevail
ing economic crisis, hundreds OF
thousands of ordinary constructive
minded men and women are grasp
ing at proverbial straws in order
to maintain a mode of living which
is both mythical and fallacious be-
cause it calls for an expenditure
far beyond the possibilities of our
producing capacity.
| I have witnessed the gradual dis
Indignation of the very keystone of
Americas greatness-the opportun-
ity for individual initiative, and the
right of individual ownership! I
see our people on the one hand cry
out against high tax levies and ex-
horbitant public expenditures, and
on the other they approve with al
most unanimous acclaim an expan-
sion of public credit and public i'm
provements never before witnessed
I Cinna Oh icfo T11r,v,o1,rc
covered the North American con-
tinent!
Our national executive is besieged
with appeals to extend government
al Control, to use the national cred
| it for activities both wise and un-
wise, but all of which, in the final
analysis, means an accumulated
burden for both this and future gen.
erations! Cities, villages and school
districts which have greatly de-
creased their local levies, loudly
clamor for share of this free
money being given away by the
government perhaps under the
mistaken idea that this is new
money and the repayments of which
will not concern those who now
make the loans!
| This is, in sense, but another
Illustration of our well known
American characteristic of trying
to get something for nothing, even
though this be with a full realiza-
ton that a day of settlement must
come sooner or Later, and that a
burden of debt is being accumulat-
ed so great as to be beyond the
grasp and comprehension of the
ORDINARY human mind! And in
stead Of retracting our steps to a
status of pay-as-you-go, or adopt a
mode of living which will permit
of a gradual liquidation Of our in
debtedness, we insist that borrow.
ing more money and increasing our
interest charges will eventually get
us out of the morass of indebted
edness in which we now find our
selves engulfed!
That our existing economic de-
lpression Is wholly man-made, all