Evening star., 1962-01-14

10, HlulNluudl HUcIGy, lltIllGeu
government, strict construction
of the Constitution, reverent
recognition of divine plan.
These principles and ideals en-
dure; they constitute the pre-
ciouS lamp that guides our
feet.
JeffersOn's Philosophy
My thought is simply this:
That JefferSons application of
the sound principle of limited
government came in an era
when men Travelled by horse
and carriage through a world
of dirt roads, stone roads, and
those log beds called corduroy
roads.
We must recognize that he
did not mean that government
is unrelated to the needs of the
people or the needs of the times.
Jefferson was one of the most
prophetic of our early states
men with respect to the inevi-
liability of change; in fact, his
philosophy and his advocacy
haStened adjustments in the
social, political and economic
order that necessarily accom-
pany such change.
The principle of individual
liberty could be applied in one
fashion on the Old Frontier;
its applications necessarily are
different on the New. I, myself,
am dedicated, heart and soul. |
to the concept of States Rights;
I pledge that every ounce of my
energy will be directed toward |
preserving Virginia's powers, as
a sovereign State, from contin-
ued attrition. Yet, would serve
you poorly if I did not acknowl-
edge, candidly and realistically,
that in their application, his
toric principles of States Rights
cannot always be trimmed to
fit specific problems of our own
day. The powers delegated to
the central government by the
Constitution have to be exer-
clSed now in ways that were
neither necessary nor proper
then. I pray that Virginia will
always stand on the old prin-
ciples; but 1 would hope to see
us avoid the folly of seeking
always to apply them in the
old ways.
Cites States Blind Spots"
Am I asking anything new of
Virginia in urging quickened
aWareneSs of our changing
world? I am not. There have
been these lags in our cultural
and material development, our
blind spots, our sometimes ex-
cessive unwillingness to put the
old aside, but the record of 1856
years magnificently attests the
true character of Virginia and
of its government. We have
adapted ourselves skillfully and
successfully to changes in trans
portation and communication
Virginia has kept her head, in
terms of fiscal sanity, while
some of our sister States were
losing theirs. Nothing more
vividly demonstrates that fun
damental change can occur
without violation of the nature
of our society than Virginia's
uneventful transition from
rural to an urban society, from
the agrarian world of our child
hood to the modern industrial
complex of today.
This transition, say, has
been uneventful, yet many have
regarded industrialization with
certain distruSt. Sometimes
we are a bit apologetic about
material growth, about progress,
and even-perhaps especially
about money. Though our
State boasts much wealth and
many prosperous communities,
there still remains an attitude
of defenSiveneSS about the I'M
portance of industrial growth
to an expanding economy. 1t
is as if some fear fingers that
equateS the goal of material
progress with a sacrifice of our
principles.
This fear we must diSpel. !
would remind you that while
we have endured jibes at our
backWardnesS, and assaults on
our alleged slow pace in prog
ress, industry has been con-
Stantly assimilated into Vir-
ginia's economy without domi-
mating it. We still have agri-
culture; we have commerce,
and trade, and finance; and we
have travel and its by-products.
Industry has stimulated the
States economy, and provided
opportunity to our people with
out disturbing the character of
our communities.
Realism in Government
An important part Of in
tegrity in government is real
ism in government; it is the
!, fixing of realistic goals, capable
Of being achieved; it honors
} tradition. but it puts aside
illusion. It revereS the past,
but it deals with the present,
;; and hopefully, it builds a Sc
cure foundation for the future.
+ We must learn to use the ad-
vantages of our age, and to
use the scientific resources
available to us, within the
framework Of Virginia's con-
cept Of integrity, and moral
and political responsibility.
The world we live in is at
tuned to chronological advances
and material benefits. Yet,
plenty has brought the fear Of
want. This republic was built
by men who asked for the
opportunity to work-to dream
new dreams, to hold bold
visions, to create from their
own powers, to risk failure, and
to take it's consequences, and
to bid for success and reap its