The times-news., 1938-12-14
BIBLE THOUGHT

b6a~- Of the hearers The little girl turned to her
mother and said, Mama, he means US" Yes, ne
means Us for all have sinned from. 3:23) but
eha,k God. unto you unto me- is born Saviour
It n1ears us.-DanieI Knox Ford - -
GOVERNMENT CONTROL OF COTTON
PRODUCTION 7l
The cotton farmers OF the South voted
last week for continuation Of federal gov
srnment control of their operations. The
frue cured tobacco producers and the grow
ers of rice voted against government con-
trol. The fact that tobacco and rice farm
ers made d stand against control and that
the plan showed increasing opposition
among the cotton farmers, IS worthy OF
more than passing notice. Attitude OF the
cotton growers was indicated by the tact
that the total vote was around half mil
lion hess than the vote last year and the
opposition vote was considerably larger
than last year.
Thus it is seen that federal control OF
farming operations is on the way out and
that in spite of half billion TO billion dol
lars annual farm subsidies, it is matter
of short time when the farmers will
throw this sociaIistic plan in the ash can.
We quote from The Texas Weekly, pub
hshed in the leading cotton producing
State, and publication that is recognized
Q as an authority on cotton growing and
marketing. This article gets down to the
bedrock of the principles at issue in the
farm control system. Read 1T:
The real question involved here is not whether
3 it is a good thing or bad thing to require
farmer to reduce his cotton acreage 1t is entirely
a question of the governments power and of the
rights of the citizen All arguments about whether
the cotton farmers are better off under this kind
of an arrangement than they would be otherwise
are beside the point. Elsewhere m this issue, the
editor Of The Texas Weekly quotes some figures
which have direct bearing on the question Of
whether the cotton farmers are better of But the
question of the governments power to @coerce the
citizen is more fundamental and has much wider
application Indeed, It has universal application. If
congress has the power TO authorize agents of the
government TO require farmer to restrict his
age Of cotton and to penalty for his failure
refusal TO obey then congress has power to do
tHc same thing with respect TO any economic activ-
IS OF tte people. The question is whether this
power Is exercised beneveaently or otherwise The
question IS whether congress possesses such power
at ALL under form of government, as defined
in the Constitutions. The Constitution defines and
sets definite limitations upon the powers Of con-
gress and Of the federal government And It guar
antees certain specifically stated rights of the cti-
zen against infringement by the government,
whether federal state, local The courts are the
interpreerso the Constitution and IT is the courts
which determine whether IN specific instances con-
gTess the government has exceeded its powers or
invaded the constitutional rights of the citizen
Of this is the moss elementary truth with respect
to the American form of government. And It Is
his, and not the question of whether cotton acre
age restriction is desirable, that is involved in the
case of this Willaey county farmer There are gen
I itemen who are impatient about such things gen
temen who think the government ought to have
the power to do anything it pleases so long as the
object sought is which they regard as desir-
aPe. These gentlemen insist that they are opposed
! 10 Fascisn and to Communism. But the fundaraen-
tai difference between our government on the one
! hand, and Fascism and Communism, on the ether
IS precisely that our government does not have the
power to do what It pleases. These gentlemen in
siss that they believe in democracy, but they con
! celve democracy TO mean that a majority of the
3 people have the power to do anything they please
regardless OF the rights of minorties or of iuii
vdualsl The american form of governments is no
pure denocracy In that sense. For under tn.
American form of government not evensa rnajorit,
of the people have the power to do as they please
, That is the fundamental difference between ou
form of government and so-called "pure' democ
raey. Ours IS form of government in which def
mite limitations placed upon the powers of th
majority over minorties or over the Individual
And this is the chief reason our government ha
survived for century and half. If it is to con
tlnue to survive, and to secure to the American
people the blessings of ordered and disciplined lib
erty, the courts must continue to restrain and Il
hold in check the headlong action of congress AM
other legislative bodies and of brutal majorities
the people.
The plain truth about the crop control law, s.
! far as cotton is concerned, is that it is already
sSIS+