DEMOCRACY
Democratic Government is the direct opposite of the German system. In
America the individual is superior to the state, on the principle that
man was born before the state was organized. He was then first, endowed
by Nature with certain inalienable rights, such as life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness.
He organized a government to make those rights secure with the state as
servant—not master of his destiny. The public official is just the
people’s hired man. He is not paid to give, or to permit, one set of
individuals to gain advantage. He must enforce equality, and see that
every citizen has equal rights with equal opportunities. Where rights
are equal, privileges must be. Where then is inequality of rights then
is inequality of privilege. The burden, shirked by the privileged class,
is thrown upon those whose rights have been usurped, making their load
doubly heavy.
In time of peace, preparedness is the premium paid for war insurance.
During war, impartial, obligatory military service is based on equality
of men.
The danger to democratic institutions lies not in the people, but in
those that prey upon them, who, having obtained unfair privilege, not
satisfied, continually grasp for more. We have seen what inequality has
done to the Germans and we do not want it in America.
This war should sound the death knell of the professional politician.
The trimmer, carrying water on both shoulders has schemed for power
white others worked. Afraid of losing votes, he did not stand up for the
right. He goes into the discard, replaced by men of ability and courage.
Leaders of the people will remove the inefficient tool of privilege.
War is a habit breaker? It is a series of jolts. The start of the war
was a jolt. The day of peace will be another. Just as one trench is
wiped out and another made, some day we shall wake to find frontiers
gone, the whole map of Europe changed, with the people ruling where were
kings. Nothing will be the same. Old thoughts, ideas, beliefs,
prejudices, humbugs—social, political and religious, will have been
thrown into the melting pot. The bogus will disappear and only Truth
remain.
French Law and Equality are based on natural justice. That the people
have won and are the basis of their liberty. The magistrates, the judges
of duty, the legislators, are the means used to secure these liberties.
They maintain that men are born and should live, free, with equal rights
and duties, that social distinction should be founded, not on wealth or
nobility, but on public benefits to the community, that honors should be
given to the most able, to the most faithful, without distinction of
wealth or birth.
Rights are, liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression.
Liberty is a natural right. Force, time, circumstance shall not abolish
it. It is not liberty to do its own will, regardless of others.
Individual liberty stops, where the rights of the community commence.
The object of political association is the preservation of rights.
The principle of sovereignty rests in the people, as expressed through
their representatives. The Law is the written expression of the people’s
will. It is the guarantee of rights to all. All citizens need the law.
All are eligible to be honored by dispensing or enforcing its
requirements.
All shall pay toward the administration of Government, and all shall
fight to maintain it. No man shall be stopped or delayed except by law.
Those who issue arbitrary or unlawful orders shall be punished. All men
are accepted as innocent till proved guilty. A man has a right to
express his opinion and religious convictions, provided they are not
contrary to law.
The law, on its part, does not interfere with dogmas or schisms, but
assures to each man liberty of expression and action, to think, and
speak, write and circulate, that which he believes true. This free
expression of ideas makes Public Opinion, which is for the advantage of
all, not for the exclusive use of some few to whom it may be confided.
It is the safeguard of independent and does not make for oppression.
Public Opinion creates the Law, which, in turn, becomes the guarantee of
the people.
All law-makers, dispensing agents, public servants, must make a report
of their administration when called on for it by the people. The rights
of men are absolutely guaranteed by the laws being rigorously applied,
impartially. Those, who, elected to power, use that power for their own
private ends, rather than for the good of all, are punished.
Behind the army and the woman, are the Cabinet, the Senate, and the
Chamber of Deputies—the leaders of thought and action. The people, as
thus represented, are the supreme power, the army is subordinate. France
is a people with an army. Germany is an army with a people. Democratic
France insists on equality, even in military life. It will not permit an
officer to grant himself, or his friends, furloughs which are denied
private soldiers. As the private soldier may be court-martialed for his
sins, so may the general officer, who, through drunkenness, inefficiency
or treachery, sacrifices his men or betrays the people. He is not
whitewashed, or taken from the front and given an appointment in the
rear—kicked upstairs instead of down. He is given his sentence and
compelled to serve it.
No brutal or surly officer can chain a private soldier to an artillery
wagon like a dog. No drunken officer can hurl insults at him. Hanging
over the heads of all, like the suspended sword of Damocles, is French
equality, which insists on results, not excuses. It falls on brutality
and inefficiency. Consequently, French officers are invariably gentlemen
and treat their men as such.
Every country has its slackers, its pacifists, its millionaires, its
religious fanatics, who do not scruple to use their isms, wealth and
special privilege to undermine the fabric of a government which compels
them to bear their share of duty. Consequently, civilian leaders must be
strong, determined, resolute men, who swerve not from the good ahead,
who will neither tolerate special pleadings nor permit incapacity. They
know that, prevented by continually changing officers, graft conditions
cannot become established, also, that all around experience begets
perfection. Soldiers’ lives must not be sacrificed at the front while
profiteers fatten in the rear.
If this war has demonstrated any one thing, it is that those who “born
to rule” have not the capacity to do so. Filling places of public trust,
through accident of wealth, or birth, or political expediency, at the
outbreak of hostilities—that cunning, calculating fraud on democracy,
the political machine—appointed or elected to serve the people, scheming
for partizan advantage, really blocked national effort and actually,
through inaction and obstruction, aided the enemy.
Incapable of mastering a new set of circumstances, persisting in playing
the new game according to the old rules, those appointed failed. Others
took up the burden. From the ranks of men rose the leaders of thought
and action, stepping, climbing, pushing over the incompetents of title,
money and birth, who, unable to save themselves, now accept salvation
from those whom they have hated, despised, oppressed.
Advancing in spite of obstacles—the more opposition, the better, the man
worthy to lead, clarified by adversity, true to form, takes the public
into confidence, talking, not in commonplace generalities, but concrete
truths, Lloyd George of England, Hughes of Australia, Briand, Clemenceau
and Viviani of France, Kerensky of Russia, Veneviolis of Greece, Sam
Hughes of Canada, Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson of America, strong,
upright and brave men, who scorn the bended knee and itching palm, are
hated by the professional politician and the piratical profiteer.
Every man, who has courage to stand for the right and denounce the
wrong, becomes a mark for bricks thrown at his devoted head—by shirkers
who won’t protect their own—by rascals who have been looting the
public—and by traitors who would betray their country. These leaders
have terrific opposition in their fight against systematized,
anti-national organizations. It is the duty of every citizen, in times
of national danger, to support the Government, regardless of party.