xt7wwp9t2q46_51 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7wwp9t2q46/data/mets.xml https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7wwp9t2q46/data/59m61.dao.xml American Liberty League 37 linear feet archival material English University of Kentucky This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed.  Permission must be received for subsequent distribution in print or electronically.  Physical rights are retained by the owning repository.  Copyright is retained in accordance with U. S. copyright laws.  For information about permissions to reproduce or publish, contact the Special Collections Research Center. Jouett Shouse Collection (American Liberty League Pamphlets), No. 54 "The Blessings of Stability" Speech of James W. Wadsworth, Representative and Former Senator from New York, July 12, 1935 text No. 54 "The Blessings of Stability" Speech of James W. Wadsworth, Representative and Former Senator from New York, July 12, 1935 2013 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7wwp9t2q46/data/59m61/59m61_54/Am_Lib_Leag_54_001/Am_Lib_Leag_54_001.pdf section false xt7wwp9t2q46_51 xt7wwp9t2q46 Pamphlets Available *
Copies of the following pamphlets and A
other League literature may be obtained  
upon application to the League’s national ;
headquarters: •
Statement of Principles and Purppses l S    
American Liberty League-Its Plat orm • ·
An Analysis of the President’s Budget Message
’ Economic Security `  
Inflation
The Thirty Hour Week
The Pending Banking Bill y
The Holding Company Bill * * *
Price Control 4
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
The Linbor Relagafns Billh A F 1
How nilation ects t e verage ami y—
T Speipch by Dr. Iéayllgzrg Westerfield Speech of
he ituminous oa i
Rc;-gimenting the Farmers—Speech by Dr. G. W. JAMES W- WADSWORTH
yer ·
Extension of the NRA R t t`
Human Rights and the C0nstitution—Speech liprcscn a Ive and Former Senator
by FR_ E_ Diivernincll _ rom New York and Member of the
The armers’ ome Bi ' N t' ] E ° ·
The TVA Amendments p a iona xecutive Committee
The New Deal, Its Unsound Theories and of the Amcrlcan Llb€I`tY
Irreconcilable Policies——Speech by Ralph M. League
Shaw
Is the Constitution for Sale?—Speech by Capt. A
William H. Stayton at the
How to Meet the Issue-Speech by William E.
Borah Institute of Public Affairs
n The Supreme Court and the New Deal U . . fv. . .
The Duty of the Church to the Social Order—— nlvcrslty 0 lrglnla
Speech by S. Wells Utley ·
An Open Letter to the President—By Dr. Neil July I2, 1935
Carothers
The Revised AAA Amendments
The Return to Democracy——Speech by Jouett _
Shouse
The President°s Tax Program
The American Bar——The Trustee of American
Institutions—Speech by Albert C. Ritchie I I `LE C4
TwolAmazing Years——Speech by Nicholas Roose· * I Y   Tv 4*
ve t   P f
. Fabian Socialism in the New Deal——Speech by C I/SEQ   5*
Demarest Lloyd ee $7*** ID 
Recovery by Statute——Speech by Dr. Neil Ca- Tfy tj)
rothers .
The Peop1e’s Money-Speech by Dr. Walter E. »
Spahr
The Principles of Constitutional Democracy and
the New Deal——Speech by R. E. Desvernine
Which Road to Take?~—Speech by ]. Howard
p . H
ew AMERICAN LIBERTY LEAGUE
4 * National Headquarters
AMERICAN LIBERTY LEAGUE NATIONAL PRESS BUILDING
NATIONAL PRESS BUILDING W WASHINGTON, D. C.
WASHINGTON. D. C.
  ic *
@4 g
Document No. 54

 The Blessings of Stability
*
I WHEN we glance over the world of today
we cannot escape the conclusion that the polit-
ical institution generally denominated democ-
I racy is facing a crisis. Prior to the World War
I most of the nations of Europe were devoted to
the democratic ideal and there seemed to be
little doubt that, step by step, the nations, with
few exceptions, were gaining ground toward the
objective, government by the people.
For years prior to 1914 autocratic govern-
ments, governments in control of privileged
classes, despotic governments, encountered
emphatic challenges in ever-increasing number
—challenges uttered by those who, devoted to a
true liberalism, insisted upon the American
theory that governments should derive their
just powers from the consent of the governed.
As the years passed the challengers made head-
way and the general tendency was in the direc-
tion of a more effective democracy. The move-
ment even spread to the ancient peoples of Asia.
Here and there were exceptions, in that in cer-
tain countries the challengers, though persistent,
V accomplished little. But these exceptions proved
the rule.
With the Great War the movement was ·
halted, for during that crisis internal political
differences were largely forgotten and in most
nations, by common consent, all efforts were
concentrated upon the objectives of the war
y itself.
For a. comparatively short period following
the cessation of hostilities a great wave of dem-
ocratic feeling seemed to spread over the
‘ world and justify the hope that government by
the people would shortly go forward with tre-
mendous strides. 1n fact, this hope had been
voiced in the slogan, “lV[ake the world safe for
democracy.” For that short period the tendency
was all in the direction of democracy and the
. hopes of millions of people who prior to that
time had lived under autocratic government
3

 were raised as never before. Shortly, however, If _ _ _d t_ t h
. 1 n o suc
. those hopes were shattered and 1n large measure We are to gwe Sermus mmm cm 0 .
. proposals (and I assume we should for they are
they l1e shattered today. _ _
being pressed upon us with great energy), we
_ _ would better first take into account an extraor-
FOR eXarhpte¤ th Ruaa1a¤ Where the R°ma”°itS dinary fact——one which I have endeavored to
had ruled tor geherattoha with aeareely ahy i emphasize upon several occasions in the past.
approaeh toward goverhmeht by the people, the That fact is that the government of the United
imperial dynasty was overthrown and for a brief 1 States is today, with eertarn Very minor eXeen_
morheht a goverhrheht was Set up parhamehtary ’ tions, the oldest government upon the face of
in form, to the great joy of the liberals. It l1ved the earth_ By that I mean that rt has heen in
buts day aha was .S¤¤<=¤<=d€d by a regrme Whieh existence, without substantial change in its form
achieved power by the exercise of force and has or in the nrrnernles underlying it, longer than
kept that great nation to this very hour subject 1 the nreeentalay government of any other impor,
to a dictatorship no less complete and 1ntoler- tant natlon_ Sneh a Statement may eome as a _
ahte than that or the C*Zar· In ttatyv where the surprise to those who are accustomed to regard
parhamehtary rorrh had existed for Years, a _ us as a very youthful nation. True, we are a
national political crisis resulted 1n 1ts overthrow V young nation, hot eomnaretl to others tour goV_
and the establishment in its place of a virtual ernment is Very, Very oltl_
dictatorship under the leadership of the impell-
in Mussolini. Scarcel an of the elements of _ _ _
g . . Y Y . LET us look into lt for a moment. Wtashmgton
democracy surv1ve in that nation. In Germany _ _
. . . . was our first President. He took office 1n 1789.
the 1mper1al government per1shed w1th the de- I th t th t r, th U _t d
parture of the Hohenzollerns and a republic was n a year c new eovarnmcn O 6 _ m C
. States started to function 1n accordance with the
set up to take 1ts place. It lasted but a few _ , f th C t_t t_ h_ h h d b
years and now that great people have given Pravlsmns 0 6 has 1 u lon W lc a can
. . . a ratified by the requisite number of states a short
themselves up to a dictatorship established and _
. . . . t1me before. That government, under the Con-
mamtamed by the picturesque Hitler. In _ _ _ _ _ _.
. . . st1tut1on, has been functioning ever s1nce w1th-
Austria, in Hungary, and in other European ____
. out substant1al change 1n form or in underlying
countries the attempts to reach the more demo- _ _ _ ,
. . . principle. It functions today, despite some
cratic form since the War have been virtual , _
. » . . attacks upon 1t——attacks, happily, unsuccessful.
failures and we find 1n most of them dictator- _
. Compare that record with that of other gov-
ships more or less complete. _
. ernments. Since 1789 France has seen a succes-
Apparently the world 1S today less ·safe for , , , , _ ,
. sion of monarch1ca1, terroristic, imperial, repub-
democracy than It has been for a long, long , , _ _ ,
. . . . lican, monarchical and 1mper1al aga1n, and,
time. For the t1me be1ng at least the true l1beral nnan br, 6 t S, 1789
. · . re u 1can ve nm s. 1n
must drink of a bitter cup when he contem- , y° P eo It D , CC
. Spam has seen at least two republ1cs, two mon-
plates what has been going on over the world . . . .
. . . archies and one practical dictatorship. The
1n these last fewyears. Th1s widespread reversal . . . . . .
. . pr1nc1pal1t1es and petty kingdoms of the Ital1an
of the trend which we were all counting upon so . .
. Pen1nsula were not welded together until the
confidently only a few years ago should give , ,
1850s under the leadersh1p of Cavour. Our
pause to all thoughtful people. Even we Amer- ,
. . . government was more than s1xty years old at the
1cans would better do some thinking for our- time rt was not mir 1870 th t th G
. u a e rman
selves, for there are among us many who con- ., G
. . . kingdoms and states were merged under one
tend that our government 1n 1tS present form . . .
. . 1mper1al government by Bismarck. Now the
has outlived its usefulness and should be
. . . Hohenzollerns are gone and we have seen two
changed 1n most substantial fashion. . . .
· d1st1nct governments s1nce they departed. I
‘ 4
5

 have already mentioned Russia. In that great from all consideration of taxes, revenues and
. nation the Romanoffs are gone and we have appropriations and concentrate their considera-
Stalin. The Austro-Hungarian empire has been tion in the House of Representatives.
scattered to the winds, the Hapsburgs are gone, I have not time to trace the story of all the
and its constituent states have been set up under governments, but I think I have followed it far
separate governments as lately as 1919. In ; enough to prove the substantial correctness of
several of them dictatorship has already dis- my assertion that of all great governments the
placed the parliamentary form. 1 government of the United States is the oldest.
Follow the story down into the Balkan Penin- A Dynasties have toppled from their thrones.
sula and we find nothing but change and dis- Democracies in one form or another have been
ruption. Approaching the Bosporus we no set up and have tumbled down. Revolutions
longer find a sultan wielding despotic power and have come and gone. Power has been trans-
hailed as defender of the faithful. Mustapha l€1‘1’6il f1‘0H1 OHG €Xl1'€m6 ta th'? 0lih€i'¤ from l¥h€
Kemal and his followers established a republic d€m001’¤tl0 to the €ll0t·‘1l01‘l6l·
across the Straits in Asia Minor only a few V Nearly all the world has been in a state of
years ago. flux and instability, and yet through it all, ever
, since 1789, our government has stood like a
TURNING our attention to mom ancient rock. This is not a mere accident. There must
peoples we and that only about 3 generation ago be some reason for 1t. l Ours is lan intelligent
elle lvleeeleee were expelled from the imperial aeeP*e» aaa I aa aaa aeaak aaa aaaaaaeeaaa aa
throne of China and desperate CHONS inaugw superlative as to make us proof oagalnstlerror.
rated to establish a republic——eiforts character- We are humanS’ and under Ordmary clmullll
ized by e welter of leeeelley eee leleeel. Prior aaaaaea We Waala aaaeaela make aa aaaaa aaa-  
to the 1850°s the Shogunate wielded its despotic takes als other _pCOPlc° Them must be Some-
power in Japan. It was not until an American llllllg lll the clllclllllllallccs lllemlclvel S°lllll`
naval  Commodore Perry, eeeppee in at aaaa aaa af aaa eaaaaaaa aaaea aaa kara aa
a Japanese port in the middle of the nineteenth compamuvcly frac of dcstrucuv? erlloll
Century that the Japanese people consented to In fact, there must be. something 1n the form
have dealings with the rest of the world. That Of our govcrnmmft and m lll phllosophy Whlch
consent was followed shortly by the establish- llccollms, for lhls Cxtmmlllmary record' T0
ment of that parliamentary form of government I ldclltlly ll aaa llllllclslallll ll wc lllllsl go l° llle
which today rules Over Nippon. Constitution, the fundamental law upon wh1ch
Even in Great Britain, whose people have our government.1s founded. Its authors dreaded
contributed so tremendously to the cause of l the lymlllly Wlllcll comes lllom ll collclllllllallllll
liberty, whose government for generations has af Powell lll lllc eaaaa af Om man Ol. group _lll
been stable far, far above the average, we find a the govcrnmcnll and they k‘}“‘Y _that Parha-
substantial change taking place only a few years lll°lllS’ Sway6d_ by llllllless ml]°l`lll€S’ clllllll be
before the World wer. In 1911,1 think ll wes, lm aa ‘Y“‘“‘“°?l “*’ k"‘gS· ll"“°° ***6 °h°°kS
pressure against a small remnant of class rule in and llalallllcs wlllcll  lllvelll llllllcll lllc C°llgll°ll
Great Britain leeeeeee ee great as le result in aa aaa Cheat Eaaeaaae aaaaaaaa aaaaelaae eee
taking away from the House of Lords that equal domlnancfl Should Olm subdue the other wc
legislative power which it had enjoyed along would have despotismlm short order. We came
with thc House Ol- Commons and giving to the perilously near 1t with the impeachment of
latter practically exclusive control over all Allllllcw ‘l°llllS°ll' ·
money bills—a change as substantial as if we The Pclllllllllm af Pllclllgc may Swing ll little
were to exclude the Senate of the United States lmlll the legielative lllwlllll lllll llxecllllve llllll
6 7

 back again, but year in and year out the balance have been passed, which, viewed collectively,
is pretty well preserved and no true liberal can present a new conception of government and
assent to its destruction. I like to think of the which, if thoroughly established and main-
continued maintenance of this balance as the tained, will transform it into something very,
carrying out of a pledge made by our fore- very different from the government we have be-
fathers, binding upon themselves and upon their _ come accustomed to.
posterity——a pledge that liberty shall live. These measures are intended to inaugurate
Occasionally the Congress or the Executive steps and carry on a "planned economy,” to use the
over the line, whereupon any citizen, feeling I phrase coined by the President. They involve
himself injured, may appeal for a judicial deter-   a very wide extension of the Federal power over
mination of his rights. The judicial power is agriculture, industry, the management of the
vested in a Supreme Court, and the final deter- price level and the control of credit. That the
mination of the citizen’s rights, guaranteed to advocates of this conception of the proper func-
him by the Covenant which binds us all, is tion of government, from the President down,
reached by that independent body. are perfectly sincere cannot be questioned, else
these measures would not have been urged so
THOSE who complain against the power of the °mPhatic_a11Y_ nor would we find each one of
cam to .1...1.... an aa of the con,.-as O.- ofthe them {img m ¤<> Perfectly Wh all the ¤*h·=¤··
Executive unconstitutional, and thus null and as te beeeme e Part ef e general eeheme
void, must, if they are consistent, assent to the
proposition that the citizen may not appeal to IT IS contended that the time has come for the
the Court for relief against oppression at the central government to help plan and to control
hands of his government. With that privilege to an important degree the ways and means by
gone, liberty as we know it would soon be an which the citizen seeks to earn his living. The i
ephemeral thing. plans must be approved by the government and
The function of the Supreme Court in this in certain cases may be actually promulgated
respect is unique. Scarcely any other govern- I by the government. The scheme generally in-
ment includes such an institution. Far from cludes machinery for ascertaining the wishes of
being an engine of oppression or obstruction, a majority of the persons engaged in a given
the Court helps us to preserve our liberty—that business. If the wish of the majority is satis-
liberty which we insist upon in our Constitu- ll factory to the government, then it is to be trans-
tion. It helps us to remain faithful to a great   lated into a set of regulations which are to have
ideal—an ideal which in our sober moments we 1 the force of law. The protesting minority is to
would never abandon. V It is the great stabilizer. t be bound by the regulations just as securely as
In very large measure it is responsible for ours the assenting majority.
being the oldest of governments. Can any The prosecuting machinery found in the Fed-
thoughtful person ignore the blessings which eral Courts is to be employed by the govern-
flow from that stability? Take a look around ment in punishing those who disobey. Thus the
the world. With what nation would we change element of force enters into the situation.
places? Indeed, it is essential that force be employed if
I have already stated that a demand for a we are to have a planned economy. Aside from
change has been heard in this country. It its purely constitutional aspects, we encounter in
t reached considerable proportions with the ad- this scheme a new principle, to wit—that a
vent of the present administration. A number majority, backed by the power of the govern-
of measures, some of them affecting agriculture, ment, may determine how the minority shall
some industry, and some the monetary system, earn its living. With the support of government
3 9

 one hundred men engaged in a certain business _ I ____
can impose a rule of conduct upon Sevemymtvc come the subject of nation-wide discussion and
men engaged in the same business. This reaches nndntstnndlng Its vast Importance ts nnw
deep down into the roots of our existence and apparent
implies an appalling change in the American
conception of liberty. It deprives the individual t. To GET a better understanding of it let us go
of his freedom of choice as to the means by I back to 1788 when the new Constitution, writ-
which he shall pursue happiness, and thus runs ' ten by the Philadelphia convention of 1787, was
directly contrary to the ideal expressed in the   before the thirteen states for ratification. The
Declaration cf Independence, li people of that (lay Were Very jealous, Were Very
It might be interesting to discuss whether or fearful and Suspicious of concentrated power,
not any government is so equipped with wisdom They agreed that we must have some central
as to enable it effectively to plan the economy g0Ve1‘¤me11t-, hut they feared that the govern-
ef all its citizens, We may very wel] doubt it, ment would take more and more power to itself
but that element of the problem is compara- as the years went by and finally become oppres-
tively unimportant The all.impoi·tant and sive over the people in their communities and in
fundamental element can be expressed in the their local affairs. They demanded that certain
questions; "What is to beeome of liberty as we specific limitations or prohibitions directed
have known it Since l739?" "ls it to bg sup. against the new government should be included
plemented by regimentation?” “Is the citizen in the iiihdsmehtai law, else they Would oppose
to be the master or the subject`?” A Tetitieetielh
These are questions that are actually facing us What might be termed a gentlemen’s agree-
today. They have been brought out into the ment W8S fhlally reached, to the effect that im.
light by the recent Supreme Court decision. medieteiv tiP0h the establishment of the new
In passing the National Industrial Recovery Act gevernment the Congress Should submit to the
the Congress sought to extend its power under States a Series et amendments designed to Pr0·
the interstate commerce clause in the Constitu- teet tne individual in the en.leYmeht of certain
tion to the regulation of a business car1·ied on ttgnte end Priviieges deemed essential to the
within a state on the theory, it is to be presumed, Pteaetvatien et nie iiiiertY· S0 the first Congress
tbat all business, gt-sat and small, in soma way submitted twelve amendments. Ten of them
or other finally affects interstate commerce. This —r nad te de Wttn tne Preservetien of iihertY as
theory, if accepted and carried to its logical against eneteaenment hY the g0Verhme11t· The
stmslusitmt would maan thata is mi limit what_ remaining two related to other subjects and
soever to the powers of the Federal government.   have never been retiiied·
The Court in its unanimous Opinion pointed Those first ten amendments have been known
out that the particular business involved in the nvat Since as the Biii ef Rights and have been
suit affected interstate commerce only remotely, tegatdett genetaiiv as e part ef the original
that it was essentially intrastate in character and mattnmann Patapnresing them, they are the
thus outside the scope of Federal power. The Xolcc of tnc panpte Saying tv their gevernmentg
decision Served as a Sharp and enlightening Thou shalt not deprive us of freedom of speech
reminder that our Federal government may ex- or of n tmc ptcsa Tnen Sneit not seek to
ercise only those powers which are delegated to control inc manner in which We WersniP Ged-
t it and that the pttwtttt not tittittgtttttd ttttt ttttt Th0tt shalt accord to every one of us the right
served to the states and to the people as pro- Ot tual by Jury Thou _Snan n°t nnteaeeneieiv
vided in the Tenth Amendment. The Tenth ?i?ijt°h liu; houses or Seize our private  apart
Amendment, so often overlooked, must now be- Of Ou S it t ,;;t qualftir troops npnn na tn time
10 peace. I ou s a t not take our property
l1

 t b d { law and with ·uSt regulate the chicken picker in the Schechter
cess o ,
cxcep y- ug pm `I plant 1n Brooklyn under an N.R.A. code.
c0I,¥§€nSa;;0n` I . d commands to bc Indeed, it would seem that the whole program
b ug if cthp?0p C Vmceem Then as if to for a planned economy under the forceful super-
0 Bye Y CH- govgrnm ` ° ' ' h F d l ment has fallen to
make assurance doubly sure, they said to their Vlsmn of I C 6 Cm gqvcrn h h
,6 . = the ground, for the simple reason t at t e
government: We have delegated certa1n powers d h t the
to you Go ahead and exercise them And People have delegate no suc Power 0 d
° ` t l t but rather have reserve
remember that we reserve for the states and for A Flin ra ircggrgfliiimsclvcs and to the States
11 1 11 M11 t (1. ~· ‘”"’_P° ,, ‘ .
I‘Q‘”"1"‘”"‘hc P§°*’ Q a t.f’°w;” ;°_m° °§fn;S It 1S not Surp11Smg,thsrs1srs,that the rmi-
an s o un 1 o - . .
.8Cp. YZEI Cscribid ,,g Them $8 our dent should greet the dec1s1on of the Supreme
n r r . . . . . .
¥0nt;1nA 6 Ht; net P I 1 It . Court with certa1n ev1dences of dismay. In h1s
. r rea sense 1 15
tlglkc SEE; giggle alghatgctlzrc Federal union carefully planned statement to the press corre-
f t ty B1 t it away and you transform our spondents, delivered four or five days after the
o s a es. as
. d ° ` h nded down Mr. Roosevelt made
whole government from that of a Federal union Cc} $101} WSS a , ° . d
t . . 1 . h t pla1n h1s disappointment. Inc1dentally he ma e
- c arac er. . .
OI?I:;:;r1cI;_C:;:at1nmay be lct,S return to that it exceedingly plain that he has abandoned the
9 • '
. . . . . . t h entertamed onl four or five
dec1s1on for a moment and consider 1tS 1mpl1ca- Sgslzgavgcyvicneha was Govcrnoryof New York
tions a little further. _ The Court made it very Y ,g fF d 1 h
clear that the Federal power does not extend rcgardmg the grave menace 0 6 cm cncmac -
. . . t ° t th se fields of ower reserved to the
over the business of manufactur1ng or the busi- 3;;% 2:13 to (she 60 18 ${8 has a perfect right
ness of farming conducted within a state; that t chan E his migd PBLH in changing it hc has
• • 0 *
the conduct of those businesses was not 1nter— ade dig issue Bxccedin ly clear For that we
. . . . Ul •
state 1n character but mtrastate. TIIIS be1ng the Should be grateful to hm?
th t 1 t f ‘ d ' t `
image, 6 lgoyeiho Tg: a 6 daimgllg an Hfdus ry In effect he contends that the government of
ls reserve 0 8 S a BS an 0 C Pcop c` the United States should possess all these powers
1 for the regulation of factories, stores, repair
THE famous N.R.A. with its codes has simply ShOpS’ fa1imS’ much? band cveryhotlicli busmcsi
ceased to exist. Practically all manufacturing _V O? avicamiln Iéursuc gr mcnfl I Eu nist; irs;
and all merchandising carried on within a state pity I at t cd upmme Ourt as hmm a th i
are out of the picture of Federal control. You ~ b government OCS not possess suc, 1 POIIBL _ a
. . . . . the people themselves must decide this thing,
will find the Adm1n1strat1on and 1ts supporters ., h_ h b t ,th, f H .
. . . . G ur r ve
1n the Congress struggling to g1VC the Agricul- not I IS yciim per aPS’ u W1 m 0 0
. . years. Obviously the central government cannot
tural Adjustment Act some color of const1tu- _ ,
tionality by a change of verbiage here and there be Put mm POSSCSSIOH of thc? PPWCIS except I?y
_a des crate attcm t to Save it But it is an amendment to the Const1tut1on itself SpBC1f·
doomedp as an CHEEHVE Compcuiing Fade   ically delegating them to it. So when the Presi-
ra
. d r th t th 1 1 t d °d h t
agency, for 1f the Federal government cannot Bn Sxrst tl? C ptcopli TES d €?1,€° tl? mu;
. . an a mus ma e ec1s1on rou
regulate a manufacturing plant it cannot regu- me , ,6y B, , g
late a farm the rat1ficat1on or the rejection of an appro-
The Sam; may be Said of the Labor Dis mes priate amendment submitted and passed upon in
A . . . P . accordance with the amendatory article of the
ct recently signed. Its prov1s1ons regulating C t_t t_
the relations to be maintained between em- 0;/lhllu *;*1;* P _d t f _ d f _
. n
ployer and employee are doomed just as surely 1 C , C rcsl 6 rc tame mm Iugmg
the adoption of an amendment, the pla1n fact
as was the effort of the Federal government to
13
12

 I
is the vast program of planned economy under I
the New Deal cannot be put into effect without
an amendment. That’s all there is to it and we ‘
might just as well face it. If this Administra-
tion is to be consistent it must press for such an
amendment. Failure to do so would mean r
abandonment of the New Deal program by its
own champions.
I am well aware that it is rash to prophesy Y
concerning political developments in the future,
but I ventureto state as my belief that the ques-
tion involved in the preservation or abandon-
ment of the Tenth Amendment, that keystone
of the arch, will be pressed upon the attention
of the American electorate in 1936. It is very
doubtful that it can be settled in one election.
The subject is too big. It may take several years.
Unless I am very much mistaken a funda-
mental question is arising in this country of
vastly greater importance than anything which
we have faced in generations. The issue involved
__ in the Eighteenth Amendment was indeed ,
fundamental, but its potentiality, its ramifica-
tions, its effect upon the life of the nation will
seem of dwarf-like insignificance when com- I s
pared to the immensity of the decision which
must be rendered finally by the people with _
respect to the Tenth Amendment and the pres-
ervation of a Federal union of states.
SHALL we join the procession in which we  
see so many European nations marching,  
abandon the form of government which we have  
maintained since 1789 and concentrate at a  
central point power sufiicient to compel, day by
day, the honest citizen to pursue his honest hap-
piness as those in authority shall prescribe? If
. so, what of liberty, that aspiration which lives
deeper in the human soul than any other, that ~
intangible yet precious thing for which men
have struggled for centuries, that blessing which,
never conferred, must always be earned? It j
must be the devout prayer of liberals the world _ ~
over that Americans shall guard well this liberty A »
that Americans have earned, not only for their
own sake but for the sake of mankind. Let at
q least one light burn steadily in a darkened world.
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