Evening star., 1936-01-19
Shifting Sands.

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New Deal policies are likened by for
mer Governor Albert c. Ritchle OF
MARYLAND to shifting sands" He pleads
In an address delivered yesterday before
the Ohio State Bar Association, for ma
tional policies resting upon the rocks
of liberty which underly our form OF
Government" Mr.. Ritchie was four
times Governor of his State, and was
reckoned a good Governor. He con-
tinued to insist while he was in office
upon the independence Of State govern
ment and to oppose encroachment by
the Federal Government. 1t is by no
means strange, therefore, that this for
mer Democratic Governor of Maryland
should raise his voice against much OF
the Roosevelt New Deal. Never before
In the history of the United States has
there been such drive for the central
ization of governmental power in WASH
ineton as has been under way since
President Roosevelt came into Office ana
promulgated the New Deal.
=, Well does Mr.. Ritchie describe the
political problem Of the ages, "how to
reconcile the powers Of government
with the liberties Of the individual" The
liberties of the individual have been
crushed under government throughout
the history of man. It was to give the
individual a chance for his liberty, with
a government that should respect this
liberty, that the Constitution of the
United States was written. What the
Roosevelt New Deal has undertaken to
.do-and it is evidenced more and more
through the decisions of the Supreme
Court of the United States-is to amend
this Constitution by writing new laws.
-, The foundations of the liberties Of the
people are the dual system Of American
.Government-the government Of the
States and the Government of the Ma
tion-and the separation of the powers
of the Federal Government into three
branches or departments. Does any one
doubt that the New Deal measures have
undertaken to encroach upon the powers
of State governments and to gather more
power into the hands of the Federal
Government? Does any one doubt that
the Executive has encroached upon the
legislative branch of the Federal Gov
ernment? It has not yet ventured to
encroach upon the judicial branch.
The essence of the New Deal is that
there is not enough government in the
United States. For national planning"
is just another name for more national
government. 1t does not at all reconcile
=. the powers of government with the lib
critics of the individual" What it does
Is to increase the powers of government
! at the expense OF the liberties OF the
individual. The individual makes mis-
takes, bitter mistakes, in the conduct
Of his own affairs. In many instances
the plans" Of the Government for the
individual may appear to be better
aimed. But the individual may as we'll
understand that once he has accepted
the Government yoke, he must wear it
whether the Governments plans may
be good or bad.
Mr.. Ritchie has the idea that strong
nation can persist only if there are
strong State governments dealing with
1.-THE local problems of the people OF the
States. This is contrary to the more
advanced view of the New Deal. Indeed,
some Of the New Dealers are apparently
convinced that the saving of the Nation
rests upon the wiping out of State lines
so that the Federal Government may
exert beneficial guardianship in all
kinds Of economic and social problems.
More concretely, the New Dealers-or
many Of them-wish to have the Federal
Government control industry and agri-
culture. When that is done, the control
of the people and of the individual will
be centered in Washington. Can any one
doubt it? Better by far, in the opinion
Of Mr.. Ritchie, and Of many other Dem
-ocrats who believe with him, that the
American people hold fast to the founda-
etion stones OF their liberty.