The Consent of the Governed – Sunday, October 24, 1943
William Penn is accredited with the statement—”If men be good, government cannot be bad.” On first hearing, one may be inclined to challenge the idea, but a more studied consideration of it will reveal its fundamental truth. It is true that there may be exceptions; it is true that history records innumerable incidents of conquest, forced slavery, and subjugation of unwilling peoples, by tyrants and usurpers. But these apparent exceptions do not invalidate the rule. In the first place, no tyrant stands alone.
He must have a large following to support him in his infamies. And the fact that he can secure a following large enough to accomplish his purposes, and that there is no effective resistance against such an element, is prima facie evidence of internal weakness. The very existence of tyranny is, in itself, an indication that somewhere along the line a sufficient number of people have relaxed their standards and their vigilance. Tyrants don’t come into being if the personal lives of the people are strong, and sound, and self-reliant.
It is true that in a weakened society there may be many strong people, and William Penn’s words emphatically do not mean that all people under a bad government are bad. Indeed, the contrary has always proved to be true, and often the leaven of a straight-thinking minority has affected the whole lump and ultimately brought about a correction of evils. But even so, William Penn’s statement is a disturbing thought—because it places the responsibility right back where it belongs, and takes some zest from the prevalent and time-honored pastime of criticizing government while sitting back and doing nothing about it. The founding fathers of our own nation gave us the key when they said: “Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” We cannot avoid the responsibility.
Governments, in the long run, are largely a reflection of the people who live under them. And if there are evils in government, those who live thereunder had better begin an honest scrutiny of themselves. Generally speaking, and in the long view of things, “If men be good, government cannot be bad.” This, from William Penn, is a personal challenge to each of us.
By Richard L. Evans, spoken from the Tabernacle, Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Sunday, Oct. 24, 1943, over Radio Station KSL and the nationwide Columbia Broadcasting System. Copyright – 1943.
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October 24, 1943
Broadcast Number 0,740