The Washington times., 1895-02-22
LIBERTY and tIPEDIEhcl
Their True Place in a Demo
cratic State Indicated.
PROF. WILSON'S ABLE LECTURE
Proper Sphere and Recognition Of These Ele-
ments and Of Morality in the Democratic
State-Men That Are Dangerous Leaders
Even Though Their Motives are Good
Conference Follows the Lecture.

Prof. Woodrow Wilson gave the second OF
his lectures in the series now being given
under the auspicies of the Applied School OF
Ethics in the University Hall at Columbian
College yesterday afternoon.
Liberty, expediency. and morality in the
democratic state was the subject chosen by
the professor
1.-THE word liberty" he said, 'is ono that is
seldom understood in the right sense. Lib
erty does not mean freedom, or where would
be the use of q government, OF constitu-
tion; that is TO say, written constitution,
for every country has constitution. Eng
land, for instance, which has no written con-
stitution is nevertheless as firmly bound by
its unwritten laws as is this country with It's
acknowledged constitution on the statute
books.
RESTRAINTS OF LIBERTY.
Liberty, therefore. can no more be free
from certain acknowledged restraining In
iuences than government can exist without
constitution. Or, why would not liberty to
steal to murder, he recognized equally with
that which gives us the right TO think, be-
lieye, and express ourselves as We choose?
The English Magma Charter Is a constitution
of liberty. not OF government. The two have
no relation TO each other.
1--WE ara at liberty TO do as we choose-up
10 a certain point. Then II crisis was
reached where our services were needed we
would, at word from the government, be
compelled to surrender our much-boasted
liberty and draw our sword in defense OF the
country which recognizes the fact that We
owe our money, our blood, and, If necessary,
our life.
II now have to speak, he continued, 'of
political expediency. What is expedency?
This is difficult question but there is no
such thing as political expediency."
Prof. Wilson then went on to show that
revolutions. the greatest uphevals in the
history OF the nations, have not been accom-
piished by expedIeucy. Take the American
revolution. Was 1t expedient? On the con-
trary, it was growth. the ou-come and the
result OF things which were not expedient.
The man who plans a revolution, a sudden
reversal Of society, knows not what he is do
ing.
CANNOT FoREsEE RESULTS.
He cannot foresee the outcome of the uphea-
val which formulates itself in his mind Mod
iflcation alone and not expediency can ac-
compIish safe revolution. Modification is
the taking of certain lines which lead to one
possible to reach by expediency, and If the
lines. not the central point. 10 good the peo-
pie will follow after ike sheep.
Morality" said the professor. "is the
science of relationship. Personal morality
is the relationship TO the spirit. Social
morality is relationship to the people. When
a man says i know that / am wrong because
don't agree with him. is thaE morality.
social NOR lity? No, thousand times no.
| But when he comes and says we will put our
shoulders together. we Will have certain
| heart comfortings in common which will
draw us closer so that we may WORK in com
mon for the good of the universe. thar is
! social morality.
| ''Some of the worst men / have known
| have been the best. This may sound strange,
! but it is so. They have had the purest and
| best motives at h, art, but their heads. their
| reasoning powers have been all wrong. Yet
| because OF their good hearts and motives they
! have been leaders and have led their followers
| to destruction. such leaders as these never
win great causes, and cooperation is the
| only remedy for these failures. Let US CO.
| operate. In unity there is strength.
| A general conference, which was presided
over by the Hon. William l.. Wilson. followed
| the lecture.