Evening star., 1936-09-13
~ the Associated Press.

ollows:
We are meeting here on the eve
Of q great victory. It win be a
victory not for Maine alone. 1t
will be a victory for the Nation.
"As Maine goes, so goes t., Ma
tion." That means something this
year. It means something IN every
State in the Union. 1t means just
as much in Kansas as it does here.
That is why I am with you to-
night. That is why I am so happy
to be here to close your notable
an successful campaign.
Iwish to congratulate the Repub.
licans and their Democrat and in
dependent allies who have united in
nominating your Republican State
ticket, and your Republican candi-
dates for Congress and in renom-
mating Senator White for the Sem
ate Of the United States. In both
Houses of Congress the people are
entitled to be represented by men
of integrity and ability and ex-
perience. And the people of Maine
will be so represented when they
elect their Republican candidates
for the Senate and House Of Rep
resentatives. They will be repre-
sented by true Americans endowed =
with the New England conscience.
Americans everywhere are wait
ing for the majorities that you will
pile up for the Republican candi-
dates next Monday. You will start
a victory parade that will span the
Nation-that will lift the hearts Of
millions everywhere-be they Re-
publicans, independents or Demo-
Gratis.
You point the way to success in
November.
Tonight I am going to consider
the relationship of Government to
business. This is question that
vitality concerns all of us. For the
relation between Government and
business affects the very character
of our Government. 1t determines
the kind of Government we have
In Washington. 1t can mean q
continuation of free and represen-
tative government, or it can mean
greater and greater authority for
the Chief Executive.
In this country, government in
its relation to business always fol-
lowed the principles underlying q
free enterprise system. Under this
system, Americans have been free.
They have been free. provided they
did not infringe upon the similar
rights of others. to do anything that
would bring them an honest and
profitable livelihood. They have
been free to plan for their own
future, knowing that their goal was
limited only by their own ability.
They have been free to plan for
their children, confident in the
knowledge that in America there
is no handicap of birth or class
distinction.
Protecting Freedom
. Major Problem.
Protecting this freedom has been
one Of the major problems of our
Government. In the early days of
our republic most of the laws reg
ulating business were enacted by
the States. AS the years went by
conditions became more complex
and gradually the Federal Gov
ernment became active in protect
ing the economic freedom and well
fare of our citizens. AS a result,
We have our laws on pure foods,
public health. banking, transpor-
tation, workmen's compensation,
safety appliances, monopolies and
unfair trade practices, and more
recently our laws regulating pub
lie utilities and the issuance Of
securities.
This is an imposing list. 1t has
marked America as a progressive
Nation. For every one of these
laws was designed to protect the
public welfare and preserve equal
ity Of opportunity. It is true not
al these laws are perfect and not
all Of them have been enforced as
they should be. But they were
based on the philosophy we have
always followed-the philosophy of
economic freedom. Not one of
them has weakened the funda-
mental character of our Govern
ment.
This was always the relation
ship Of Government to business
before the present administration
took Office. At no time did the
Federal Government usurp the
right Of the States to regulate in
dustry and commerce within their
own borders. At no time did it at
tempt to direct and manage busi-
ness.
Then came the N. r. A.! With
the enactment of this measure in
1888 our Government, without
mandate of the people, adopted a
new and completely different phil
osophy. When say new" I mean
new only in the sense that it was
new to this country. It was q
philosophy well known under the
autocratic governments of Europe.
It was foisted upon us in the
misery Of the depression by Fed
eral administration that used the
emergency to absorb the powers
of the States-an administration
that assumed we had suddenly out
grown American institutions.
This philosophy decreed that
prices should be regulated, not by
demand and supply, but by Gov
ernment edict; that wages and
hours Of employees should be fixed,
not by free and fair negotiations
under rules assuring equality, but
by officials in Washington; that
the sort Of competition which must
be fostered, as the life blood of
free enterprise, should in future
be prohibited by law.
This was q philosophy which
denied that the more we produce.
the more we have: that the more
eficiently we produce, the higher
will be our standard Of living. It
declared that the existing facili-