Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1940-02-23
SEN. BEAUCHAMP
MAKES ADDRESS
BEFORE ROTARY

his month OIL teDruary, WHICH
contains the birthdays Of two of the
greatest Americans, seems an appro-
pirate time to reflect and examine
ourselves upon conditions nationally;
to see what it is about our country
that enables it's citizens to be the
richest, happiest and best-off gener-
ally of any in the world. Whether it
is the fact that we are separated
from other countries on two sides by
Oceans and on a third by a Gulf; or,
whether, it is the fact that it contains
mines, minerals and other great ma
tural wealth; or, whether it is because
it was founded on principles and pol
icies which so used is location and
wealth that the results naturally
proceeded. And, finally, what is our
duty in the attitude we should take 10
our government.
There can be no serious dispute
that the citizens of this county are
the happiest and feest of all peoples
anywhere; that they are the best edu-
Gated and have the highest standards
of living. Practically all Of Europe
and Asia and much of Africa now in
war; and our good neighbor to the
north in war to help its mother coun-
try. How fortunate are we of this
country to be able, as Niles Kinnick
said, to dodge football tacklers in
stead of hand grenades and other
missiles of death. We do not have to
run to some specially instructed
shelter or hastily don a gas protect
ing mask whenever we hear horn
blow or siren sound. These and all
the other horrors of war we know of
only by reading and hearing. We do
not have the continuous heart'rending
anxiety of waiting in never~leaving
suspense to hear il some one dear to
US has been injured, captured or kill
ed.
This lovely land of ours, with ra-
dio, electric lights, electric rcfriger-
ators, telephones and automobiles in
almost every home, even some of the
poorest. An advanced education to
anyone, however poor, if he will but
just accept it. How does all this come
about? What has been done and by
whom to create conditions from which
such benefits flow? Results like these
do not just happen.
Frequently it is wise to go back to
see how things were started. And,
so to begin with, those who formed
this government were lion and wo-
men who had just finished fighting.
to win their freedom. They knew what
it was to have forced on them taxes
which they had no part in levying;
they knew how it was for the kings
agents and spies to enter their homes
and places of business on any reason
or pretext it pleased the intruders to
assert; they knew what it was to
have soldiers quartered on them in
time of peace at theirs, the citizens
expense; they knew what it was to
have people brought to oppose their
desires. These were some of the in
justices they had just finished beat
ing when the time came to form their
own government. So they were in the
mood fully to appreciate the advant-
ages of liberty and freedom in all
their aspects.
These people, then, were particu-
larly careful and jealous to see that
this proposed government would be
one to serve them and not one they
would serve. They were so careful
they seemed to distrust themselves.
There were the checks and balances.
by majority, yet the rights of the
minorities were to be protected. Su-
preme power was vested not in one
person or in one branch of govern
ment; not in two people or two sets
of people; but in three separate and
distinct branches, every one independ-
ent of the other, and yet dependent on
the other, and each supreme in its
own domain. Then, too, this govern
ment was to be a government of
many states, each free and independ-
ent, and yet have a strong central
government. Every move seemed
filled with extreme caution; the form
ers of the government would give
with one hand and appear to limit the
gifts with the other hand. This spirit
guided by decent and honest respect
for the others opinion and super-hu-
man wisdom, finally produced what
has been rightly called the greatest
instrument ever written by mortal
man, the Constitution of the United
States.
What body of men it was that
composed the Constitutional conven-