The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-10-17
DICTATORSHIP AT HOME AS
ABROAD IS FEARFUL
THING
October II, 1888.

GQltOCs WdVeIpu4y &ShiVSA1e'
The crisis Of recent weeks has
demonstrated the peril Of war under
a dictatorship. When the voice Of
the people Is silent-the dictator
alone reigns. The destinies not Of
two nations, but Of Europe, hung
upon the determinations Of one man.
In those fateful moments 1t was
brought home to ell Of US, as never
before, where o dictatorship might
lead.
On the one hand We saw what
appeared from this distance to be
nothing but the threat Of force
stark, cruel force-issulng from the
will Of q man, who seemed for the
time being TO be menacing the des-
tiny Of the world. In this crisis the
multiple voices Of Q democracy may
have not appeared to be as effective
as that OF q dictator, but who can
doubt as to which contributed most
to the real security Of the world
and the saving OF millions Of lives
the voice Of q dictator or that Of
leaders responsible TO parliamentS
elected by the people. And what o
price has Germany paid for her
gains, II indeed they are gains-losS
Of her freedom In every guarantee
Of human rights our founders and
patriots fought and died for.
There was q universal repulsion
Of feeling here at the despoiling Of
Czechoslovakia, and there was uni
versal sympathy for the victim.
robbed OF her sovereignty. II that
Is where irresponsible power leads,
we In America will follow no such
leadership.
In the weeks preceding the Euro
pean crisis, 1t was brought home to
us In America that I'VE states had
rejected, by very decisive votes, the
demand Of the executive that he be
permitted to dictate the nominal
tons OF senators to the congress Of
the United States. The people re.
piled In no uncertain terms that the
election Of congress was exclusively
In their hands, subject solely TO
their determination as to the quail
fications and policies Of those nom.
mated.
The trainers OF the Constitution
were constantly fearful Of the loss
OF their rights as individuals and
as states. The celebrated COM
promise, founded upon the Connecti-
cut plan Of representation, provided
for q popular representation In the
lower house and an equal represent
tation Of two for each state In the
senate.
This Is now the only provision Ia
the Constitution which Is not SUBJ
ject to amendment, inasmuch as Ar.
ticle v requires that mo state with.
out its consent shall be deprived of
its equal suffrage in the senate"
This provision, therefore, short Of q
revolution, Is beyond an amendment.
The reasons for it are obvious.
The United States was a vast
area representing different sections
with distinctly different interests.
The North and the South, the East
and the West, the forests and the
cities, all presented problems requir-
ing the direct representation Of their
peculiar interests.
II there are any principles In the
Constitution beyond amendment,
they are those of devotion to local
self government and an equal voice
by each state In the decisions of
the senate. When, therefore, there
was danger Of these powers being
taken out Of their hands and placed
In the hands Of the executive, there
was an instantaneous and Anal re-
fusai by the people.
We are all anxious to 60 for
ward, not backward, In the devel-
opment Of large opportunities and
freer liberties for the greatest num-
bers. Our faith in freedom has al.
lowed US TO 60 forward with the
growth OF our personal and individ-
ual liberties to q greater degree than
In any other country In the world.
Our progress has been founded upon
the guarantee Of the Constitution,
the opportunities Of private enter
prise, and the resting Of government
IN the hands OF the people.
Some Of the landmarks Of free
dom are now being threatened by
attempts which seek TO center au-
thority in the executive and 10
destroy those checks and balances
a. 49, q