The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-08-06
NEWSPAPERS OPINIONS
WHAT is LIBERALISM?

In these more recent years we have been hearing
much of liberalism, conservatism, economic royal
ism. radcalism, bourbonism, hundred and one
other assorted isns.
And the greatest of these words has been liber-
alism. Everywhere men have been fastening to
line ND in the camps of the liberals. Americans
have come to welcome the new and to despite the
old, have tended more and more to take for grant
ed that the new things, ideas, systems, theories,
represent liberalism, that the DID, accepted, time
tried ideas, systems, beliefs, represent conserva-
tism
MANY have taken for granted that liberalism, as
it has been thus defined, represents freedom, that
conservatism, in the same manner, represents the
tbrottling of freedom, the oppression of the weak
at the hands of the strong, the Imprisonment of
the individual.
Some have weighed and found wanting the
American system. Some have found the Constitu-
ton inadequate, have come to the conclusion that
under it there can be freedom for the individual,
have accepted the argument that it permits the ex
plotation of the individual by the powerful groups
Some have looked with longing eyes across the At
Iantic to certain European systems just now the
vogue.
Many of US, indeed, have lost allowed to fall
into disuse our ability to think straight.
Madame Roland in the tumbrll on her way 10
the guillotine, passing the Statute of Liberty OBJ
served: "Ah, Liberty, what crimes are committed
in thy name"
The same might be said of liberalism.
Il is beautiful word 1t has beautiful lmphca-
+ions Il has even beautiful sound.
Rnt what crimes of thinking committed IN
Liberasms name!
Not all that is new is LIBERAL Not all that IS old
is optmoded and ready for the junk pile Some OF
the new isms that are commanding the loyaltles OF
Errone are old and moss-grown from long lying
unon the scrap heap of discarded governmental
svstams Some of the new isms that are being sug-
gasted for American adoption would be no step for
ward. on the contrary, it would be long run
backward, a tremendous REIMBURSEMENT of liberty
We want in America none of these things. we
want instead. renewed appreciation ard april
cation of the dstinctively American philoSoplieS
and nraetices. Liberty-the liberty that America
has had and still has and must continue 10 nave
is a precious inheritance, and Americans should be
more appreciative of it and more Jealous IN pre-
serving it. :.
We must not set ourselves against change'
change means advancement, more freedom, a pet-
ter nation But after the same fashion we must
not be too quick to propose change for the mere
reason that it will usher in something new ana OIL
ferent. We should not throw the old suit out the
window until we have had a look at the new suit
the man has brought to the door. We might ike
the old suit better In fact the man might not nave
a suit at all.
The Constitution is no sacred, immutabe docu-
ment per se But it has piloted this nation from a
small thrd-rater to the most powerful, yes and the
freest, on the face of the earth. And we would DO
we'll to ponder long and seriously any contemplated
change. After all, it is pretty liberal old docu-
ment, and in the sense like to see the word lib
eral defined-Charlotte Observer.