Evening star., 1944-06-12
By WENDELL WILLKIE.

|
By WENDELL WILLKIE.
distributed by the Associated Press)
The Republican party in its be-
ginning arose from the peoples urge
: to build strong national Govern
ment to offset the disruptive, weak
! ening influence of the States rights
, doctrine of the Democratic party
Paradoxically, now, in 1914, thai
same Republican party is urged h
dedicate itself to the doctrine ol
States rights.
In the days of the party's found
ing, a strong central government
was necessary to prevent disruption
of our political union. Today, 9
strong central government is nee
essary to prevent disruption of oul
economic and social structure by 9
variety of conflicting authorities AND
Interests. In that early day, Fed
Ieral power was necessary to make us
in fact a Nation. Today, Federal
power is necessary to enable the
United States to live and lead in
the family of nations.
Recurring Debate.
The debate concerning the con-
centration of power in Washington
is a recurring one. 1t arises to some
extent in every presidential cam
paign and becomes particularly
violent during war periods. But the
sincerity and vigor of the present
protest have been occasioned by
causes beyond the normal maneu-
vers of politics or the dislocationS
created by the Federal assumption
of necessary war powers. It arises
from more far-reaching causes.
The spectacle of the present ad-
ministration's arbitrary use of vast
authority; the caprices of q Govern.
ment of men grown bold and reck.
less with the use of power, favorinl
first one economic group and ther
another, while subjecting individ'
uals and their rights to the judg'
ment of whimS and theories; tn,
manifold evidences to every citizen
even in his own community, OF tht
inefficiencies and reckless extrava'
gances of Federal agents-all thes'
abuses have aroused dissatisfaction
among the people which have ma.
turally formed an issue for the op.
position party. But we must not b
confused as to what the issue is OF
where the solution lies.
1t is not the worn-out issue ol
State rights versus strong Fedora
Government. That is not an issue
that is a relic.
Praise for Governors.
The States have their proper
functions and Republicans can be
proud that in the administrations
Of the rs Republicans Governors we
have an outstanding example today
of competent State government.
/ But ever since the adoption OF
the Constitution, with the expan-
sion of the country and the growth
of its concerns, there has been a
trend toward stronger central Gov
ernment. It was firmly established
in the Civil War, and became In
creasingly marked after World
War I. President Hoover's Com
mittee on Recent Social Trends
4 published a report in 1888, that
noted the growth of Federal func.
4 tions during the three precedinl
Republican administrations ane
concluded:
4 "The shifts from State to NAdera
authority thus reflect the incapacits
Of the several States to deal witt
4 problems Of transportation, com.
munication, merchandising, labor.
capital relations and other vita
aspects of social and economic life.
/ It could hardly be put better.
/ Must Use Vast Powers.
Any national administration in q
modern complex industrial society
must exercise vast powers. The
United States cannot be divided
into 48 separate economic units. We
Icannot, for instance, have 48 diff
ferent minimum wage laws; nor
can we have variety of State poll
cies If we hope to protect the farmer
against the precipitated downward
spiral of postwar agricultural prices
Businesses national in scope, social
and economic problems that affect
al! our people alike can only be
dealt with on a national basis.
The number and character of such
problems increases steadily with
every step in our industrial growth
and expansion. And the more we
move, as We must move, into the
affairs of the world. the more this
will be true. For we will be living
and functioning and trading in a
world where other peoples have
granted to their governments the
power and the authority to act for
them.
No, the issue today is not the is
sue OF States rights versus Federal
power. The issue is government
administered under law. For If
economic and social regulations in
our modern industrial age must be
national in scope to be effective, SO
their administration must be by Law
and rule if the citizen Is to remain
free.
Where Solution Lies.
i The solution lies not in a weak.
ened central Government. 1t lies ir
assuring the proper use of the powe,
we have deemed it wise and neces.
sary to grant to the Federal Govern.
ment. That means a sense O.
responsibility in administration. I
meanS-and this is important
local administration of numerous
Federal functions in their local ap.
splication. And it means primaril,
the substitution of government b,
law for government by caprice ane
unlimited discretions. Under such
exercise of Federal power, ever,
citizen, rich or poor, labor leader o.
! ISer0e0nt's Dream |