The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1935-10-03
Reverence For The
American Constitution
By Rufus Steele, in Christian Science
Monitor.

Monitor.
The United States celebrates the an
niversary of its Constitution in a re-
Elective mood and with what may be
called an unaccustomed reverence.
Citizens are thoughtful. Observers re-
port many things like deliberate or
covert attacks on the character of
American liberties and these warnings
are hardly to be ignored. In various
celebrations references to alleged as
saults by speakers bring grave looks
from conservatives and more or less
scotfing from liberals. But one fact
which should be gratifying to both
sides is apparent-the people of the
United States are giving conscious
heed to their Constitution.
Former President Herbert Hoover is
earnestly listened to at San Diego's
exposition. He says liberty never dies
from direct attack. No one will openly
oppose the Bill of Rights. Liberty per-
ishes through encroachment and dis
regard of its safeguards. 1t shrinks
when shortcuts are sought to jump
over some immediate pressure. When
Congress tried to abdicate its powers
to the Executive, when the Govern
ment repudiated its security obliga-
lions, when the federal power central
lied itself at the expense of the local
power, when huge bureaucracies were
built up, when citizens were coerced-
then in Mr.. Hoover's view, the Consti-
tuition was brought under assault.
Mrs. Theodore Roosevelt, wife of the
former President, voices her feelings
at a two-day Constitution rally in
New York. The Constitution, she de-
clares, is the rock on which our fore
fathers built this nation. On that rock
it must stand. "In our hearts, at the
roots of our being, lie three great 10y
alties: loyalty to our God, loyalty to
our country, loyalty to mankind. With
out these loyalties a nation must per-
ish. To them in this crisis, we dedicate
our lives, never to falter in our high
devotion, never to fall back in our
purpose to leave to our children the
freedom of life and thought that has
been ours. If we fall, it is as Lusifer,
never to hope again"
The Constitutional Educational AS
sociation of Chicago reports the wild
est interest in the Associations his
tory in the fundamental document
The demand for bulletins giving in
formation about the Constitution has
increased several fold within the year.
Schools, colleges, industrial firms are
absorbing thousands of copies of these
explanatory bulletins. Harry Atwood,
founder of the Association, refutes an
ill-founded criticism that modern
changes have left the Constitution
somewhat helpless. "The Constitution
is as well adapted to meet the prob
lens of today as those which existed
when it was written" What is now
needed is more understanding of the
foresight and far dominion of this
mastery document.
Recent attacks on the Constitution
have grown out of the fact that under
that document the Supreme Court of
the United States held certain current
legislation void.
In his great essay Number 8 of the
Federalist, Alexander Hamilton clar-
ifies this very point: "No legislative
act, therefore, contrary to the Con-
stitution, can be valid. To deny this
would be to affirm that the deputy is
greater than his principal, that the
servant is above his master, that the
of the people are SUI
eprior to the people themselves" What
the Constitution does not authorize, it
forbids.
A current traveller is able to report
that the attitude of the Washington
Administration toward the Constitu-
ton at the time of the adverse NRA
rulings has aroused sharp reaction
from Coast to Coast. There is not any
doubt that vast numbers Of citizens
are disturbed because they caught
from the Administration the light i'm
intended or unattended, that
the Constitution must not get in the
way. General Observation-Disclosures
regarding the Constitution.
But let there be no change by usur-