The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1939-1949, 1944-02-17
NEWS { n
BEHIND
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Ru PAUL MALLON u
By PAUL MALLON

Bill Of Rights
And us. Democracy
The Roosevelt tocsin which
range the widest reaction in. his
current program was his Second
Bill of Rights. He listed eight:
The right to a good job, wage
fair farm price, business freedom
from monopolies (and foreign car
-. decent home, medical care
psSG,al security, education.
This new Bill. of Rights is moi
bill Of new rights. They always
existed with the possible excep.
.ion of foreign cartels. formerly
beyond their reach). They exist
today.
Every man has. fright" to a
good job, home, medical care, and
so on. We have long had laws for
business freedom against monopo-
lies. have something of social
security system, and an unequaled
educational system.
The only difference of opinion
which will cause any dispute is
whether the federal government
shall furnish them-that is, mate
rally and directly provide more OF
them, as Mr.. Roosevelt apparently
wishes.
Formerly, the working theory OF
of this democracy was that each
man should be given the oppor-
tunity to provide them for himself
that is, to earn enough to pay
for his home, medical care, and
so On.
Here now, planning for a fresh
start at the end of the war, the
question must arise as to which
of these courses is best to follow
not just best politically, but
what is most practical.
If Mr.. Roosevelt is going to un-
-dertake in peacetime to have the
sal government itself furnish
zS1 man each job, fix his wages
fix his farm price, build his home,
provide his medical care and direct
his education-as is being done
now in wartime this nation will
be totalitarian, non-democratic.
a Ea,vv n>s.S~A H,,~.SsA~.
But that is an academic argu-
ment, even though it is the most
decisive focal point of all questions
today. What the citizen now will
want to figue out for himself is:
Will it be better for him that
way? Will the common man, the
average citizen, get more out OF
it? Will he get more by having
the federal government provide
all these things than by having
the government fulfill only it's old
responsibility of providing leader
ship for a prosperous and stable
country
think the question answers it.
self in the light of all incontro.
verfible facts of history. No gov.
eminent ever did provide bettez
homes. jobs. medical care. or edu-
cation than in this countrY-oI
better rights of any kind. espe.
ciallY individual freedom and in.
dependence.
Can the government build better
homes than the people build for
themselves?
Z Will it provide better medical
~ if you must have a political
,.ySks to get a good doctor, and will
the doctors themselves have the
same Indicative in your behalf if
they work on a federal salary and
the whole nation medically be-
comes clinic?
Would education be any better
under more federal control?
Would there be more and better
Jobs if the government assumes
more responsibility for providing
this right" than if the right OF
good business is maintained and
the man is allowed freedom OF
employment? -
would wages be higher, or just
unions? If so, prices will be high
er and no one would benefit. Per-
maps the average man would suf-
Ter, as has the white collar man
during this war.
AS for farm prices, they are sup
posed to be fixed now, and the
farmers are dissatisfied. But if
the federal government satisfied
them, would the average citizen
get any more out of it, or would
lie nave to pay higher prices?
Nearly all these steps require
more federal spending. With
what? Not deficit financing. with
me debt mounting to 100000. oo0..
ooo. Only from taxation. money
rom the pocket of the average
man.