The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1949-12-08
LIE BON'S WARNING

have just finished reading book published toward
the end of the 10Th century, written by Gusave LIE Bon
the eminent French psychologist In this book LIE Bon
writing of conditions then existing in France and he pre-
dcted dire things for his native land There is deadly
parallel between what ranspired in France so years ago
and what is taking place in America today and quote
excerpts taken from different parts of the book
Nothing is fatal to people than the mania for
great reforms however excellent these reforms may appear
theoretically They would only be useful possible
to change instantaneously the genius of nations
Today the claims of the masses becoming and
more sharply defined and amount to nothing less than
determination utterly destroy society as it now exists
with view to making it bark back to the primitive
munsm the normal condition of all human groups
before the dawn of civilization Limitations of the
OF labor the of mines railways factories
and the SOIL the equal distribution of all products the emn
alton of all the upper classes for the benefit popular
classes, etc., such are these claims
"The passing of these innumerabe series of legislative
measures all of them in general way of order
conduces necessarily to augment the number the power
and the influence of the unctionares charged with their
application These functionares tend in this way be-
come the veritable masters of civilized countries
Ths ncessan creation of restrictive laws and regula
tions surrounding the peeSt actions of existence
most complicated formaies inevitably has for result
the conning within and limits of the
the deuson that equality and liberty better by
tpcaton of laws, nations daily consent put up with
this legislation with mpunity. Accustomed put up with
yoke they end by desiring servitude and lose
all spontaneouSness and energy They then
than vain shadows passive unressng and poweress auto
mata.
Arrived at this point the individual bound to seek
outside himself the forces he no longer finds within him.
The functions of necessarily in pro-
as helpeSSneSS OF citizens
grow They it who must necessarily exhibit nitia-
ve enerprising and guiding spirit in which private per-
lacking 1t falls them to undertake everything
direct everything and take everything under their proec
ton The State becomes allpowerful god Still expert
ence shows that the of such gods either
very durable very strong
"Ths progressive restriction of all liberties the case
of certain peoples in spite of outward license gives
them the illusion that these liberties still their pos
session. at least much consequence of their old
as of any particular system constitutes of the
precursoy symptoms of that decaden phase which up
now, civilization has escaped Judging by the les
of the past and by the symptoms that strike
tenton every side, several of modern civilizations
have reached the phase of extreme old which precedes
decadence."
LIE Bon certainly forecast the fate of France. Today
MANY of the factors that brought about downfall
evidence here in America Is the 173 year old u A.
be of the several of modern civilizations that
reached that phase of extreme old age which precedes
decadence?" We avoid this fate if stop further con-
centraon of power in Washington and decentraze con-
siderable of the power already centralized there This
be accomplished all of stop passing the hat to Uncle
Sam. George Peck