The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1896-12-11
PHILOSOPHY OF DEMOCRACY.



Opposition 70 the Buiidins Up 81 the
Moasyed Glaze
De .nocracy, that Is to say, n form OF
power nment In which sovereignty and
supreme power is held by the people
the first in their individual capacity and
the second collcctively-has 10 do with
ethics as well as economics. A sound
| basis is as essential for progressive
social life rs il is for building up and ex-
| tending commercial and industrial IN
| terprises. Therefore the consistent
democrat is not only deeply interested
In the growth OF national wcalth-of
the people as a whole-but he is equally
concerned in how il is distributed. A
consistent democrat could not with sat
isfaction witness trade expansion and
industrial growth unless the distrlbu-
ton of the profits accruing was some
what in ratio to the worth of the sew
eral productive forces which partici-
pated in the operation and movement
as capital, skill and labor. True
democracy teaches that while the aim
of the people collectively should be the
promotion of the nations welfare, the
desired end is reached only through in
dividual prosperity, and that il is the
aggregate prosperity of the people
which gives the nation strength and
character.
1t is clearly democratic to oppose the
employment of any agency that is cal
culatc to build up separate and fa-
yoreC ~clnsses. That is T. say, ii is not
demo ratio to permit tt building up OF
or the maintenance of 4 social or com
mercial status with q plutocracy at the
top and a proletariat at the bottom. In
deed. democracy would look upon such
conditions of existence for the people as
the most Objectionable of all forms OF
arisocracy, for those at the top would
be there because of their greed and av-
arice. and not at all because of moral or
intellectual excellence or patriotic at
tachment to the institutions OF the
country, while those below might rep
resent in themselves all the elements OF
true manhood-so much so, indeed. that
their high sense of individual right con-
duct forbade them entering a struggle
for property-holding supremacy which
could be made TO end in victory only by
sacrificing the rights and appropriatine
! the opportunities OF others.
: The central principle of democracy
and around which all others cluster, u
q that in ratio to the good reasons whicf
y PRODUCERS of m~erchantable coEamodi
ties-labor-have to be contented IS tn
: stability of the government and ths
. liberties of the people ssured. In othe'
words, if any of the increase in nat'ona
' wealth is arbitrarily made to drift int
I the hands of a few. there Is oppression
y in the administration Of the public 81
{ fairs of the people, ard what should b
a national blessing is a national curse
: That is an ideal or democratic system
OF wealth growth which broadens an
elevates the manhood of each and evef
ono who participates III the work. III
IS democratic principles practically al
'r Piled when each producer or wage
IT Garner receives Of the profits accfu,I
IS from his production the utmost OF M
ne deserving. Democracy repudiates tn
c economic theory that there can be pc
p in a nation which permits or
III class of it's people TO accumulate wealt
while another class sinks in want az
or misery. Democracy teaches that when
B. system of legislation is fastened upo
the skill, the brain and the Drawn OF
H. country which is productive Of such r
suits. the time has come for the peop
by to rise in their might and overthrow a.
p oyerturn and rebuild, but upon lines
8; peace and good will.-Los Angeles lie
A. aid