Evening star., 1937-01-05
The Danger of Compulsion
Mandatory Insurance May Lead to Other and Odious
Regulation Of Ideals.

in tolerance Of compulsion Is illus
trated by recalling the wartime law
setting up insurance for soldiers.
That was not compulsory. Though
in accord with military tradition the
soldier was compelled to bear arms,
he was not compelled to accept in
surance.
I hesitate to use the "entering
wedge" argument, but If we now sub
NIT to taking an insurance we do
not want, our submission may become
a precedent from which later we may
find ourselves required to take q re-
ligion we do not want, form of edu-
cation we do not want, a peacetime
military service We do not want, q
surrender Of habeas corpus, Of free
dom of speech, Of all the guarantees
of the bill of rights in the Consti-
tuition.
Oregon School Law Recalled.
If this seems fantastic, if it seems
to look too far ahead and too far
afield, recall something that hap
pened in America in the very recent
past. In 1928, about the time the
Ku Klux Klan was at its height,
Oregon passed a law compelling every
citizen, under penalty of imprison-
ment. to send his children to State
public schools. He had to take the
education the State provided whether
he preferred another form Of educa-
ton or not. He would go to Jail If
he sent his children to the parochial
schools Of the Catholic or Lutheran
or Episcopal church, all Of which had
schools in Oregon He would go to
Jail If he sent his children to any nom
sectarian school Of the familiar type.
of which there were some in Oregon.
The law was later held unconstitu-
tional by the Supreme Court.
The most conspicuous fact in the
world today is the rapid spread Of two
conceptions Of society and govern
ment. in both of which the funda-
mental characteristic is compulsion Of
the individual to submit to the gov
ernment-dictation by the government
in every area Of life in which gov
ernment chooses to assert autocratic
power. In both fascism and commu-
nism the fundamental rule is that the
individual has no freedom of choice,
no rights which the government need
respect. The aim is the "authorita-
rian state" the "totalitarian state"
The idea is niformity-uniformit
and. therefore, conformity.
Eternal Vigilance" Necessary.
The most solemn duty of Americans
is to safeguard our own country from
infection by this rapidly spreading
conception of society and government.
This infection, like those of disease,
gets its foothold insidiously and be-
comes a contagion before the victims
are aware. The time to stop is at the
first invasion. That the price Of lib
erty Is eternal vigilance" is an Ameri-
can axiom.
One member of the Federal Security
Board. Mr.. Miles, says the law will
need change and that I'VE approach
the problem with an open mind; our
sole purpose =" is to make America
a better place in which to live"
Will America be q better place II
the totalitarian conception of society
gets q foothold here? The social Sc
curity law already permits many ex-
emptions: 1t exempts farm workers,
domestic workers, employees Of colleges.
employees Of the National Government.
employees Of State and city govern
ments. Why not extend the exemp-
tions to all who can show that their
old-age insurance is arranged for in
any satisfactory way? That would
take from the law most of the sinister
element of compulsion. 1t may be
that only one man in 10000 would
want the exemption. But to exempt
that one man is to save an important
American principle.
tCopyright. 1877