xt7wwp9t2q46_58 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. 61 "The Test of Citizenship" Speech of Dean Carl W. Ackerman, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, at the Biennial Convention of the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs, July 16, 1935 text No. 61 "The Test of Citizenship" Speech of Dean Carl W. Ackerman, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, at the Biennial Convention of the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs, July 16, 1935 2013 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7wwp9t2q46/data/59m61/59m61_61/Am_Lib_Leag_61_001/Am_Lib_Leag_61_001.pdf section false xt7wwp9t2q46_58 xt7wwp9t2q46 Pamphlets Available * I *
* .
Copies of the following pamphlets and  
other League literature may be obtained • • •
upon application io ino League’s naiionai I Test of Citizenship
headquarters: ·
Statement of Principles and Purposes * * *
American Liberty League—Its Platform
An Analysis of the President’s Budget Message
Economic Security
Inflation Speech of
Th Th' t H ur W k
Th; Pmardgng ggankisg Bill _ DEAN CARL W. ACKERMAN
'gI1?i°;cHé°})°;1;?)1C°mpany Bm Columbia University Graduate School of
The Labor_Relations Bill Journalism, at the Biennial Convention
'lgl;;°cnE;;;m;?%E@ %‘¥&B’1l of the National Federation of Business
'igllie ¥:;;·ge;s’ Holme Bill and Professional Women’s Clubs in
e men ments ·
The New Deal, Its Unsound Theories and S€attlC’ WaSh1ngt0n’ July 16* 1935
Irreconcilable Policies———-Speech by Ralph M.
Shaw
How to Meet the Issue—Speech by William E. * * *
Borah
The Supreme Court and the New Deal
An Open Letter to the President——By Dr. Neil "Wj]] the ]oSS of economic freedom in
Carothers h . .
The Revised AAA Amendments t e Un1ted States through taxation or
Tlsséhoggufn I0 D¢m00f3¢Y—$P¢¢¢h by ]0¤¢¢” through governmental control of industry
The President’s Tax Program f come IISXI?
The American Bar——The Trustee o American - “Th t t' h ]d b
Institutions—Speech by Albert C. Ritchie . a Suits 10;,1 2 gun * cnanswcrcd by
TwolAmazing Years—Speech by Nicholas Roose- PIIPIIC OPIIIIOII ·
ve t
Fall;ian Socialgsmd in the New Deal—Speech by ·
emarest L oy a
The People’s Money—Speech by Dr. Walter E.
Spahr
The Principles of Constitutional Democracy and
the New Deal-—-Speech by R. E. Desvemine QQRIO
Which Road to Take?——Speech by ]. Howard y- _ 
P Iv L lllzii 
TheeBlessings of Stability——Speech by James W. r_;   "Q gd
Wadsworth 6\ @1-;;   b
Legislation-By Coercion or Constitution- Cp} y.°
Speech by Jouett Shouse Y he
Recovery by Statute—Speech by Dr. Neil
Carothers
Expanding Bureaucracy ·
The Imperilment of Democracy—Speech by Fitz-
gerald Hall
Lawmaking by Executive Order
AMERICAN LIBERTY LEAGUE
* National Headquarters
AMERICAN LIBERTY LEAGUE NATIONAL PRESS BUILDING
NArIoNAL PRESS BUILDING WASHINGTON- D- C-
WASHINGTON, D. C.
ik *
%·4
Document No. 61

 i
i
i
a The Test Of C1t1Z€nSh1P _ i 1tS first national convention, the predommant
pol1t1cal philosophy of the Un1ted States was
* expressed in Woodrow Wilson’s book: THE
t NEW FREEDOM. To President Wilson public
AS CITIZENSHIP in a democracy is on trial ·% opinion was the most powerful and the most
. . . 1 ' k' d. "Th h l f
our first interest tonight 1S naturally the welfare 1 giust ruler if ian mt WS ihigt (lv; prggpoifoiid
. . . wr e 1
of our country. Cond1t1ons wh1ch challenge our y Bmocraci? B 0 ’ Y
. . . . re counsel with one another, so as not to depend
national resourcefulness and our 1nd1v1dual th d t d, f one man but to
. . . . . n rs an 1n o
ab1l1ty demand the attention of organ1zat1ons, gpm] d B :111 C m H 5 unSClOf.a11,,° And hc
. . . en n e com o o .
BSPCCIHIIY of those dedicated to the 1deal of a cp _ 0 , , , ,
more Cgcctive democracy admon1shed his fellow citizens as 1f concerned
The conflict at resent in the United States is   over the trend of world affairs that they should
between ublic 0 gnion and ublic Emotion be   “keep the air clear with constant discussion.”
tween mgson andp hysteria bitwcen justice Zmd   Conventions of representative organizations in
s * . . .
. . thUtdStt td h 1 i· f-
revenge, and between fa1th and fear. The issue i , c ni C il BS 0 air five S argc Slgiu
is Ovcrnmemal comm] Versus democracy in- p icance, 1n the light of this historical perspective,
Voliing the Preservation or the modmcaiioh I _ than either delegates or the public are likely to
...1 if ,........y, th. d..m...i.¤ of im. mtu? tease Partictlriy drag this Period of daily
t, ns 1nd1v1dual and institutional adjustments, under
10 . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . the 1mpact of world-w1de nat1onal1st1c trends, lt
Th1s 1ssue 1S directly related to c1t1zensh1p, . . . . .
Wh. h .S thin und r a d Ocmcir and IS 1mperat1ve that business and professional
10 1 one g e em . . . . .
. . . t f bl .
something quite diiferent under governmental m¥,;‘;f;€i°1`{1“€asrgflenizesrgsclxdlgs°§;'(;;;‘t€d
control. Under democracy citizenship implies , . . g P .   . .
the Sharing of public responsibilities and Obliga to the real1zat1on of political, social or economic
_ , , ` b' t' wh th 't t' Iii h
t1ons between elections as well as on election T) ]€(i1Y€S’ 6 Br. 1 S uio mics au? S6 S or
d U d d C ac th,B bl, S , f 1deal1st1c, whether 1ts action 1S radical or con-
. ner emor 1 u1cerv1ceoa . .. ..
ay t _t_ H m Val andp ftcn B C ds th t t servative, whether political affiliations are Demo-
r1aec11ze aeu o xee a . . .. .. .
P V _ , Y q , cratic, Soc1al1st1c, Commumstic, Republican or
of a publ1c official. Under centralized control, I .... .
_ Fasc1st, their public meetings are important be-
oificeholders have a monopoly of the public ,6 . . .
, U d dcmoc C th f d f th cause they keep the a1r clear w1th constant dis-
ser ICC. n er ra e ree om o e . . ....
indlivid al is limited b Y law or b brc cuss1on.” By g1v1ng publ1c express1on to 1deas
_ _ u _ Y _ _ Y Pu 1 ’ which spring from the freedom of opinion they
op1n1on. Under a dictatorship, which 1S the h . Hi . lb .
ultimate result of nationalism, individual free- Serv? t 6 Hamm] as um) cla ut rcprcscmauvc
d _ k n t 1 parliaments.
om IS sac ed by decrees.
IT IS becoming increasingly clear I think, that
TEMP TED IJY the 63SY d€]€g¤ti011 cf 01ViC the battle of opinion between those who advo-
1'6SP011S1biliti€S and 0b11g3i1011S to thi? g0V€1‘11· i cate centralized governmental control and those
ment in a national emergency, American citizen- who believe that free institutions should be pre-
ship 1S being tested. Can we, as free women and . served, is reaching a decisive stage. Freedom
men, realize the high standard expressed by today, specifically our economic freedom, is an
President Butler of Columbia University who active political and social issue involving also
said: “The free man socially minded is the hope y academic freedom and the freedom of the press
of the world.” and the radio. The nation-wide discussion of
Sixteen years ago when your Federation held these issues should make us conscious that our
2 s

 liberties hang in the balance and that they will it means so manY dilterent tnings te so manY
be maintained or lost in the conflict now being dilterent PeoPle· Te Senator Long it means the
waged Confrontcd by tlie necessity of choosing gift of five thousand dollars to every individual
between nationalism and democracy it is tlie to be taken from the accumulated wealth of a
duty of every citizen to contribute his opinion   few Vei‘Y rieh families- Te Dr- Townsend it
to the national forum of public opinion, the means an old'age Pension ot $200 Per montn te
proving ground oi our democracy. be spent monthly. To Senator Norris it means
The most recent legislative attack on the lib- ,., the deetrnetien ot privately owned utilities by
crties of the American people was the original the construction of government-owned electric
National Industrial Recovery Act. Passed by Power Pro.leets· Te Mr- l`lenrY Ford it means
the Congress on the high tide of public emotion, the sharing of wealth through industrial activity.
hysteria and fear, it granted the President of Te tne MaYor ot New York CitY it means
the United States tlie authority for one year to another constitutional amendment. To soldiers
license industry. The universities and colleges wlio enlisted during tne World Wat it signilles
objected immediately and won for educational a bonus- Te senool teaeners it imPlles nigner
institutions, churches, hospitals and charitable salaries- Te Politieians it means votes- Te
organizations complete exemption from the Youtn it ie a new adventure- Te the unem'
NRA. Newspaper publishers and editors also PloYed it indieatee new oPPortunities and new
objected but had to fight for more than a year .lor’s· Te mature men and women wno maY own
before they could obtain a freedom of the press ProPertY et wno have independent ineomesv it
clause in their code. Since then the Supreme means the loss ot lifetime savings· Te tnose
Court has rendered a decision which makes this wno lost their investments et wno were never
act a matter of liistory_ able to accumulate capital funds in an intensely
Boi while tho NRA is now largely historical, eeinpetitiye age, “eeenen¤ie iteedeni" ineane the
the example of what could be accomplished by easY realization ef a lite'long dream-
the mobilization of emotion, hysteria, {oai-, What, indeed, hae eaneed eneh eenineien?
hatred and revenge face us   tOdaY_   R.CZH_€CtI.OII? Deliberation`? Recognition of the
advantage of the overwhelming sentiment of the i rignts and Privileges ef all eitiaene? Or was it
American people for better social conditions ¢ eaneed by the tour norsernen ef the dePressioni
and oo impiovomom in tho economic welfare of Emotion, Hysteria, Revenge, and Fear?
millions of business, professional and manual Cnased r'Y theee norsemena eitiaene are
workers, those whose object is a new social order ‘ temPted te onoose a strong man¤ Put him in the
based on governmental control tell us that we saddle and give nlm the reigns ef government-
must make haste or all will be 1ooi. That is not Whether eitizene yieid their tishte hy Vetea er
true! All will be lost if we make haste. Haste by oomnion eonsent» et Whether tneY anolisn
precipitated the World War_ Haste made Com- them by bloodshed is immaterial, as far as the
munism, Fascism, and Nazism possible in Rus_ result is concerned. The man on horseback
sia, Italy and Germany. Haste prolongs a knows that to retain his power he must keep
national crisis. It makes every emergency acute alive the souree ot hie Power? and emotion=
because it chokes opinion, reason, justice and nYsteria» revengev and rear ate utilized until
faith every citizen is regimented to serve a central
authority.
H OW true this is when applied to the present In such a crisis citiaenship in a democracy is
discussion of our economic freedom, the most t8St6d` IP auch a clilsls lt TS lloliwllal leaders
controversial aspect of all our liberties, because , Say that ls lmpollallr ll ls lllelli llllcllcclllal
, 4 5

 and moral character that counts. No political ment of industry based upon the creative work
party has a monopoly in the public service. No of inventors? From the middle of the nine-
party has a copyright on the Constitution. teenth century to 1929 there were fifty-five basic
Under these circumstances the test of citizenship inventions upon which great industries were
is the selection of men and women, not the _. built providing employment directly and in-
acceptance of political labels. Democracy obli- \' directly for millions of men and women. In
gates the individual to be selective.   this list is the typewriter, the incandescent lamp,
the telephone, the motion picture, the airplane,
V _ the automobile the linot e, the electric loco-
LET us look back tomght for a few moments motive and the radio, whifzrllf have enlarged busi-
to Whatfhc men and Woman of thm coilntrg ness and the professions and improved the social
 Eélségiflut lgélslimtggnggecljgin no con use and economic status of mankind throughout the
° _ world.
In the July number of FQRTUNE Illagazmc lf the human mind can overcome any obstacle,
appears the first of a Same? Of arufllcs OP as Henri Bergson believes, is it conceivable that
WOMEN IN INDUSTRY which comams thm we have reached the end of the creative power
paiagmphi _ , of the American genius, or the resourcefulness
From the middle of the mncwcmh Fcmury of our people? Talk to any scientist engaged in
0n’ the Women S Movcglcm was Consfnolesly ,a - research in our industrial and educational lab-
Strugglc fi-if hb?rau0n° At, the bcgmmllg it oratories and he will indicate with ease and with
{gas {Pr lfcratmn ill; °°“°“l;Y€d by thc] mtg l conHdence a wonderland of potential discoveries
gcnm? “110’ ieilgem F};c;%(;;1H;i’ Yigil aI;;;u5£ that will rival the record from 1851 to date. One
economica r . .
.....1 ....1 ihtellectual .....1..., ...1 .. ... pe. hm Wh Dr·.Ha¥°ld C· ‘¥mY= who We wdcd
_ the Nobel Prize 1n chemistry for his discovery
marily for these that the great battles of the f aah t ,, .11 V t the Satisfaction
Woman’s Movement were fought. This is not O Cavy lla cr W1 pm? C 0 . .
to say that there was no agitation against the (lf anyone Wlth an 0pcn.mmd.that thm dlscovery
_ . _ _ l1ke.countless others w1ll bring new opportun-
Economlch bondigz fof lthcthvast tileafomty of ities of employment in science and in industry.
§r3:;ns;1BWvV;1;1V;;,SCM0;;I;;;t fil; ihcllgliitwggjt _ Another hour with Dr. Charles F. Kettering,who
  ·
let the matter rest: on the theory that if social l difelopcd :1116 Self-garter for th; alltzrlulgllei
freedom could eeee be Wee, then economic free-   `Q ° {mite an m umy t° ma B m W1 ua
dom Could be Counted on to follow? t e ectric l1ght plants for farms, who made ethyl
Bet you know from me experiences of your gaS°h"° ‘? ”’E`u°”a1.aS“t’ will °P°“ °th°” VTSHZS
federation that economic freedom and equal Of polcnual lmlustmfl Progress. DL Ketlermgs
rights are attained and maintained only by con- cllpcmmclxf Wltll dlgcmm types of Dcllcl Cn-
_ _ _ _ gmes on 1S private yacht have been directly
Stem agltatmn and ceascless Vlgllancie related to the development of power units for
stream-lined trains which are destined to renew
YOU know also, that Social and nolitioal gains, the life of our railroads which many Americans
social and political liberation are useless with- thought Wee Statle-
out economic freedom and economic rewards. Unde1`1Ying the exleerimeme of D1`- U1`eY in the
The eemevemente of the Wemanve Movement a chemical laboratory of a university and of Dr.
in the United States have been prodigious as the Kettering in the research 1ebe1`ete1`Y ef iuduSt1`Y
FORTUNE article records, but could they have is the P1`ineiP1e of eeenemie fI`eedem= the free'
been possible without the simultaneous eeveiep. dom df individuals to pmvidd private <=¤d<>W-
6 7

 IHBHIS {OI Cd11C&ll0113l lI1Stitl1Il0I1S Rlld tl1C {ICC- mean is that in their opinion we have never had
dom cf a manufacturing company to allocate 3 economic freedom in this country, and that it
share Of its PYOHYLS tc 1‘cSca1’cl1· can exist only under governmental control.
What they hope to obtain is not the freedom to
UNDERLYING the Work of these Scientists is create but the freedom to share what has already
also a supreme faith in the continuous creative bei; ;;;;t;d}:1_iSiS Public Opinion imust make a
ability of the individual and in the future of the distinction between what is publicly advocated
institutions with which they are associated. It . and what is privately desired. It must diHm__
Wee tiiie ieiiiii Wiiieii prompted Di" Kettering re entiate between the sound and the objective of a
eieie_ iii the derketealdgiyelder 193; thas in this slogan. It must be alert to the danger of public
op1n1on we were s 1 u1 1ng an no simp y emotion.
epeiieiiiig iirieee United Sieree Greater economic freedom and a more e ui-
ii° as ei Pe°pie’ we eeuid eiiere Ketreriiigie table distribution of the wealth of today and of
faith instead of emotionally demanding a share tomorrow are common aspirations. Today they
iii iiie Weeiiii’ it Weuid meeii rei, iiiere re tire are limited if they are not threatened by gov-
giiisiie Weiiere iiieii the dieiriburieii er his ernments, federal, state and local, which have
er une' ex anded and are ex andin their bureaus and
But the high tide er Pubiie emerieii is Sweep` their personnel far reut ofgproportion to the
ing toward Washington with the slogan “share- ability and capacity of any economically free
the-wealth.” It reflects a state of mind such as Society to finance. There am in thc United
President Dennett of Williams College declares States today 182,000 units of local government
is mere iieiimiiiebie iiieii ei iieiitreee Congress costing ten.billion dollars annually to operate.
will probably pass a new tax bill so that lgetter- Today, federal, State and local taxation is
iiigie ieiiiiiiie ami eii other iieriuiiee Wiii bs rapidly destroying the economic freedomof all
eiieiieii eiiei iiieii wiiei Wiii happen? fundamental institutions, family life, educa-
tional institutions which are privately endowed,
CERTAINLY nobody knows from day to day and- churches which depend. upon gifts and col-
what will happen because public emotion is lections, while at the silme time 1t.1S reducing or
often more powerful than public opinion and a imiiiiig the iiieemee e every bueiiieee and Pie'
catch-phrase is like a firebrand. For this reason reeerener Worker" _ _
all business and professional groups in the i We have arwaiis Spoken Wirth Prrde Or Our gevi
United States should redouble their vigilance errrmem as the biggest buemeee m the w0rrd’ rmt
and their activities or their economic freedom as rt gr0WS’ remember that rt IS nOri`prOducrrVe'
.11 be SWB t awa b a S10 an. If It ever becomes so large that 1t has a mo-
W1 P Y Y S .
This indeed is dangerously near today. Ever rmpory arid Corrrrorealr reuSmeSS’ Some rerm er
since the decision of the United States Supreme Commrrmem will be Inevitable and rreedem will
Court_ in the Schechter case there have been be Cxtmch
demands that the Federal Constitution be
amended in order to grant Congress greater JOHN MARSHALL when he was Chief Justice
power overY industry. As a result we have the of the United States foresaw what we are expe-
strange political phenomenon of demands for 1’lC11Ci11g today. Ill the 0aSC of lV[’Cl1ll0Cl1 VBISHS
Such an amendment in Order to guarantee CC0. Maryland he wrote the dictum which for more
nomic freedom, when the real objective of its than 8 cc11tu1`Y lived in thc pclitical p}1il0S0phY
advocates is governmental control. What they of this ¤3ti0¤· “Thc POWBY to taxi, he W1`0t€»
8 9

 Mlnvelves the Pewer to desu-Oy_" And in the continuous building of a nation. Dictators are
same decision he too admonished his country- oniY oPoi`aioi`S· The ii9Po of the World io*ioY is
men that “the power to destroy may defeat and free mon and Women who aio SociaiiY niindoib
render useless the Power to create? who have the will to create, the tenacity to pre-
This assertion is as applicable today to pres. serve, and the faith to build. That is the test of
ent conditions as it was in 1819, when our fore- Ainoiioan oiiizonSiiiP¤ and tho foundation fvr a
fathers were engaged in erecting serviceable inoro oiiooiivo ‘¥ioniooi`aoY•
democratic institutions on the foundation of a
new Constitution. It is applicable because the
conflict between the power to create and the
power to destroy becomes intense in time of war
and during a period of national emergency. In
a crisis public emotion can destroy overnight
what public opinion created over a century.
Witness the destruction of the freedom of the
press, the freedom of religion, the right of peti-
tion and assembly, trial by jury and the freedom
of representative government in ten foreign
countries since 1917.
Will the loss of economic freedom in the
United States through taxation or through gov-
ernmental control of industry come next`?
That question should be answered by public
opinion, by your deliberations, and by the re-
flective judgment of the American people.
Before Congress votes, this question should be _ `
fully debated in the unofficial parliaments of
business and the professions, in the conventions
of organized labor, in the women°s clubs, in i
church forums, and in the assemblies of our
schools and colleges. q
ECONOMIC freedom is not something ren- C
dered out of the fat of the land to be distributed
by the government. It is not a bond, a bonus,
a pension, a job, an inheritance, a share-in-some-
body°s wealth or the open door to a new social
order. Economic freedom is the foundation for
all other liberties. It is inherently the right of
every individual to contribute his share and to v
share in the creation of the new world which
every generation moulds out of its inheritance
and passes on to the future. .
Economic freedom is possible only in a de-
mocracy because the object of democracy is the
10 ' A 11