Chicago world. (Chicago, Ill.) 1918-????, 1949-03-26
The QUE omire 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
one. crisis after another domestic and interna-
tional. We have been plagued by fear one day and
picked up by new hope the next. The whole world
might be likened to mercury in a tube shifting
violently at any disturbance, and never attaining
stability.
thousand books could be written about the
difficulties We are in, without touching more than
; the surface of the material But, looking at the
world from the best perspective we can now find
it seems clear that the basic problem which un-
derlies in one way or another all other problems
is this The trouble with the world is that it has
too much government too much absolute author
ity.
This is not new situation, unique to our age
The whole history of civilization has been con-
ct between the individual and those who wished
to enslave him. That conflict has caused innum-
cradle wars, revolutions, economic gupheavaIs. 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 subtleI-it increases and soldifes it's author
ty through due process of law. But the end result
is the samoa nation where all men have less
freedom OF action and decision, and where the
political rulers determine more and more what we
shall thin,: and do.
Usually, we surrender rights to government fol-
political promises of material gain, Government
will give us wealth Government will build us
houses. Government will pay for our crops. Gov
eminent will provide goods and services cheaper
/ Government will protect health and support
us in old age Government will deal with almost
every obstacle that confronts from the cradle
to the grave. But bfore goernment even attempt
to give 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 government never de-
livers 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 Tor the people short Of revolution. Thf
whole machinery of the state is used to keep tn
people in line to destroy dissent, to make indivi-
duality crime.
In today's world the United States is in a posi-
ton without precedent. The most obvious fact is
thai a mighty power from the material
standpoint. We are making an effort which has
no parallel in history to rehabltate a score OF
devastated nations, and to save them from hunger
inc disease and despair.
This is vitality important, but it is not the end
of the matter by long shot. If American leader
ship proves to be purely material 1t will be doom
ed to eventual faiure-some of the police states
are also rich in resources. What America must
offer the world, along with her flood of goods, is
the supreme example of the fact that free peo-
pie, with free economic system and represcn-
tative government of their own choosing, can out
do the police states Everything We have done or
may DO at home to weaken our tradition Of in
divdual freedom, to gTorify government above the
people who elect it, weakens our physical secur-
lty, and our chance for survival.
This is a matter of spiritual values We have
no statistics with which to measure them no pro-
duction figures to make orner peoples gasp in
envy. But it is spiritual values which will turn
the scales, one way or the other, in the long run
The real meaning of America is in the hearts Of
her people and in the freedom and the dignity of
all men