Milford chronicle., 1954-12-31
SOCIALIST. INTELLECTUALS
UNDERMINE FREEDOM

Ine great questions which confronted the
American people when 1854 began had not
been answered when 1854 ended. Had thev
been, 1t would have amounted to a miracle of
unprecedented proportions For they in
yolve, IN the international sphere, bitter and
emotionaly-charged conflicts which have
been growing and deepening for more than a
generation. And here at home, on the dOmes-
TIC front, the American people certainly have
not made, clear their answer to the greatest
question OF all--what kind of government
they want.
There were achievements during the wear
notable. achievements When the shooting
war ended In Korea, and it became possible
to sharply decrease war spending, there were
those who feared that a depression or at least
q severe recession was inevitable. They be-
neyed that our economy was so inextricably
tied to war that the transition to even an un-
easy peace would be long and painful That
was not the case. 1T has been pointed out that
never IN history did a great nation proceed
with such transition in so orderly fashion.
Industry demonstrated its faith in this
nations strength and potential by continu-
ing and ever increasing expansion programs
OF almost unbelievable scope and cost. The
declining purchasing power of the dollar was
checked-the direct result of curbs on fed
eFal spending AS the year ended, prOduc-
ton and consumption were running at enOr-
nous levels, and the employment figures re-
fected that fact
What then -barring another world war
have we got to worry about?
The answer is simple. For some 20 years.
millions OF Americans became conditioned to
having government provide more and more
OF the services that people must provide for
themselves it a free system is to be preserv-
ed. They became conditioned to the idea of
q welfare state. And. apparently, they re-
gaFded little socialism" as a good thing.
obvious consequences of this are found
IN our national debt and our tax structure
n0tmng IS more expensive than socialism
ana q welfare state. More subtle and more
important. consequences are found in a san
ping OF individual moral fiber, and the un-
qermlnlng OF old, eternal ideals of human
dignity and freedom and responsibility.
Americans hate Communism. Yet Com
munlsm IS nothing but socialism and state
capitalism n 'dO-eVeTythingY government
earned 70 the inevitable end. One of the
most distinguished men living recently de-
scrIoed the process well. Herbert Hoover
said: In the Iron Curtain states If was the
Socialist intellectuals who weakened the free
dom OF men by destroying free enterprise
Thus they furnished the boarding ladders bv
winch the Communists captured the Ship of
State"
Today, as for years past, the attempt to
desJEOy Tree enterprise In the United States
continues Menin high, responsible positions.
including members of both the political par
ties, advocate policies and PHILOSOPHERS which
would undermine free enterprise in enc
sphere or another, and which would make the
central government ever bigger, ever more
poWelIgi, ever more expensive, ever more
mOn0pohstlc, ever more oppressive.
~ short time aOo 1opofhvr Ttov,,.,e~-,
wrote Private enterprise, we note IS al /
ways called an interest while State capital
ISL ventures are presented as disinterested /
instruments of the people, This Is balder-1
dash. Government grows on what II feeds /
on; every Government agency and its fllnc-
lonarles are hungry for more appropriations
and more power; they, too, are Interests" !"
moreover the sins of private enterprise
can be and are corrected by law. The sins of
super government, once a certain point is
reacned, are beyond any law. The people.
more and more, take what IS offered and doi
what they are told. That IS the way free
men become slaves. Modern history groans
with examples Of it.
!, was said long ago that any people get
yne KIND OF government they deserve. They
also get the amount of freedom thew deserve I
we Americans are not immune to these
truths.
GeoSs
RETAILING AND THE MINIMUM WAGE
Retail trade has always been exempt from
.ne provisions Of the federal minimum WAGE
aw. Now, it is reported, an effort IS to be .
made both to increase the wage, and at the I
same time subject retailing to the law.
The case against doing that is a powerful "
)ne, which should be generally understood
and y concerns the welfare of the worker
ana the consumer as well as the retail en-
9l0yer
For one thing retailing is essentially a H
oeai business Even though a store may be 4
hair system or affiliated with oshor stores