Evening star., 1934-07-05

principles embodied in the Constitu.
ton of the United States in domestic
affairs. The Declaration of indie
pendence and the Constitution Of the
United States are the title deeds, not
only to liberty of the people Of the
United States, but, if observed, they
are the surest guarantee Of the ma
terial prosperity, the contentment and
happiness of the people of the United
States.
Capital and Men.
1t does not make so much differ
ence under what kind of a govern
ment the few, those of influence, of
prestige and power, live. They can
generally secure all the rights and
privileges they desire under any form
of government. Thus the great cor
porations and the wealthy hocked to
the support of fascism and nazism
and have Jared well. But labor, and
the average citizen generally. have
been reduced to a state of intolerable
political and economic vassalage. The
most brutal system of government yet
developed Is vast capital linked to
personal or arbitrary power.
1t is under constitutional govern
ment alone, a government of law and
order, that the rights and liberties
of the average man and woman are,
or can be, preserved and enjoyed.
Those who disbelieve in conStitu-
tional government necessarily dis
believe in a government by the people.
Those who strike at the integrity of
constitutional government strike at
the rights and liberties of the people
One of our most brilliant political
writer's says in a book recently pub
lished: Liberty everywhere is on the
defensive" Yes. everywhere. But
that is especially true as to the
liberty Of the average man and
woman. as to the masses, to those
who are the toilers, the producers,
of the respective nations. Their rights
are being constantly chiseled away,
their position in the economic world
more and more circumScribed, their
freedom and political rights more and
more limited. in Europe under die
tatorships and in democracies under
bureaucracies.
One has but to survey the world
today, politically and economically. to
realize that the liberty and the rights
of the people are less enjoyed and in
more imminent peril of utter destruc-
ton, generally speaking, than they
we're in l776. 1t has been estimated
that 80 per cent of the people Of the
world is living below the poverty line
and far less than 30 per cent enjoy
political freedom. All this is being
brought about in the name Of the
people whose rights are being de-
Stroyed. 1t was the practice of Au-
gustus Caesar, when preparing to take
over some new block of power, to de-
liver a eulogy on the virtues of the
republic and announce his deep solici-
tude for the liberties and happiness of
the people. How faithfully this fine
precedent has been emulated in the
modern world by dictators and bureau
Gratis alike!
Freedom of the Press.
What is liberty under our Consti-
tuition? Does 1t consist of nothing
more than the right to exist? I was
greatly interested in recent months in
the discussion concerning the freedom
of the press. When the controversy
arose over the freedom of the press
under the codes something of the old
American spirit blazed forth. We re-
called the classic lines of Milton and
the scarcely less classic phrases of
Jefferson. We read again the debates
on the alien Sedition laws when the
Federalists made a determined effort
to commit political suicide. No sane
man wilP underestimate the freedom of
the press.
During this discussion it was said it
would be unspeakable for the Govern
ment to say there are enough news
papers and no more must be started
To me it is no more unthinkable than
to say there are enough stores and no
more must be started, that there are
enough shoe factories and no more
must be started. 1 contend that under
any proper conception Of American
liberty and under the Constitution Of
the United States the Government has
just as much right to say q man may
not start a newspaper as to say he
shall not start a sawmill. The Gov
ernment has just as much right to say
there are too many newspapers as to
say there is too much cotton being
grown. 1t has as much right to reduce
the size of newspapers and turn the
printers on the streets as 1t has to
force the reduction of cotton and turn
the share croppers onto the highway
The Government has as much right
under the Constitution, to say that the
great newspapers of the country should
be limited in circulation and curtailec
in issue as it has by law to curtail the
acreage of our wheat fields.
am not now speaking Of the re-
spective effects or attempting tc
speaking of the right, under American
law and under American conception
of government. American liberty l.
not that kind of liberty which can be
classified and enlarged or limited &C.
cording to the respective stations ano
occupations of the citizens Of the
United States. The initiative, the vo-
lition, the right to choose his calling
or profession is just as sacred under
our Constitution to the humblest citi-
zen as 1t is to the most powerful, In
tellectually or financially.
Paralysis of Bureaucracy.
I do not overlook express mention
in the Constitution Of the press. But
the Constitution is just as explicit in
legal effect in protecting the personal
rights, privileges and liberties of the
people generally.
Let us be frank and deal with reali-
ties. A free press in a country where
each and every citizen is not equally
free to choose his calling, or profess
sion, and within general law to pursue
it; select his industry or business
plant. sow and reap according to his
Judgment, free from the fickle. arbi-
trary hand of bureaucracy. is only q
temporary delusion. If the govern
ment can take awax the right to grow
cotton and force the grower to plant
according to some bureaus judgment
and thereby force thousands to the
point of starvation, it is only ques'
ton of time, and it has always been