Chicago world., 1949-02-05
The Quagmire of Too Much
Government

One Of the most difficult things to do in today's
world is to separate causes from effects-to find
the roots Of the terrible problems the nations have
brought upon themselves It is the old story of
being unable to the forest because of the trees
Ever since the war ended, we have lived through
crisis after another, domestic and interna-
tional. We have been plagued by fear one day and
picked up by hope the next The whole world
might be nkened to mercury in tube, shifting
violently at any disturbance, and never attaining
stability.
A thousand books could be written about the
difficulties We in, without touching more than
the surface of the material But looking at the
world from the best perspective can find,
it seems clear that the basic problem which un
derlies in one way another all other problems,
us this: The trouble with the world is that it has
too much government too much absolute author
ity.
This is not situation, unique to our age.
The whole history of civilization has been a con-
flict between the individual and those who wished
to enslave him. That conflict has caused innum-
cradle wars, revolutions economic upheavaIs all
manner Of disasters. But in the present world
the technique OF enslavement has been perfected
In some cases government maintains it's power
with the whip and the gun. In other cases it is
far subter-it and solidifies it's author
ity through due process of law But the end result
is the sane-a nation where all men have less
freedom Of action and decision, and where the
political rulers determine more and more what we
shall think and do.
Usually, We surrender rights to government for
political promises of material gain Government
will give us wealth. Government will build us
houses. Government will pay for our crops. Gov
elnment will provide goods and services cheaper.
Government will protect health, and support
us in cd age Government will deal with almost
every obstacle that confronts us from the cradle
to the grave But bfore goernment even attempt
to give us these things it must have the power
to control the human and material resources of
the nation, and take the savings of the people
through taxes. And that is how relationships are
built
1t seems however, that goyerniment never de-
lvers promised material benefits. The standard
Of living of any people goes down in ratio to the
growth in power of those who rule. But,
government becames strong enough, there is no
recourse for the people short Of revolution The
whole machinery Of the state is used to keep the
people III line to destroy dissent to make indivi-
duality crime. $50
In today's world, the United States is in posi-
tion without precedent. The most obvious fact is
that are mighty power from the material
standpoint. We are making an effort which has
no parallel in history to rehabilitate a score of
devastated nations, and to save them from hunger
and disease and despair.
This is vitally important, but 1t Is not the end
OF the matter by long shot If American leader
ship proves to be purely material it will be doom
ed to eventual failure-some of the police states
are also rich il resources. What America must
offer the world along with her flood of goods, is
the supreme example of the fact that free peo-
ple with a free economic system and represen.
tatVe government Of their choosing out
the have
may do at home to weaken our tradition Of in
dNlduai freedom, to gIorify government above the
people who elect it, weakens our physical secur-
1ty, and our chance for survival
Ihls is matter Of spiritual values We have
no statistics with which to measure them. no pro-
auction figures to make other peoples gasp in
envy. But it is spiritual values which will turn
the scales, one way or the other, in the long rim
Inc real meaning Of America is In the hearts of
all men,