The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1896-12-11
PHILOSOPHY OF DEMOCRACY.
Opposition to the Building Up OF the
Moneyed Glass.

Opposition to the Building Up of the
Moneyed Glass.
Democracy, that is to say. form OF
government in which sovereignty and
supreme power is held by the people
the first in their iadividual capacis: and
the second collectively-has to do with
ethics as well as economics. A sound
basis is as essential for progressive
social life as it is for building up and ex-
tending commercial and industrial en-
terprises. Therefore the consistent
democrat is not only deeply interested
in the growth of national wealth-of
the people as whole-but he is equally
concerned in how it is distributed. a.
consistent democrat could not with sat
isfaction witness trade expansion and
industrial growth unless the distribu-
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 it 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
culated to build up separate and fa-
"a, is 4a &c or
democratic to permit the building up of
or the maintenance of a social or COM
mercial status with plutocracy at the
top and proletariat at the bottom. In
deed, democracy would look upon such
conditions of existence for the people as
the most Objectionable of all :orms of
arisocracy, for those at the top would
be there because of their greed and ay-
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 struggle
for property holding supremacy which
could be made to end in victory only by
sacrificing the rights and appropriating
the opportunities of others.
The central principle of democracy,
and around which all others cluster, is
that in ratio to the good reasons which
producers of merchantabe commodi
ties-labor-havet to be contented is the
stability of the government and the
liberties of the people assured. In other
words, if any of the increase in national
wealth is arbitrarily made to drift into
the hands of few, there is oppression
in the administration of the public af-
fairs of the people, and what should be
a national blessing is a national curse.
That is an ideal or democratic system
of wealth growth which broadens ard
elevates the manhood of each and every
one who participates in the work. It is
democratic principles practically APP
piled when each producer or wage
Garner receives of the profits accruing
from his production the utmost of his
deserving. Democracy repudiates the
economic theory that there can be per-
manancy in nation which permits one
class of its people to accumulate wealth
While another class sinks in want and
misery. Democracy teaches that when a
system of legislation is fastened upon
the skill, the brain and the Drawn of a
country which is productive of such re-
suits, the time has come for the people
to rise in their might and overthrow and
oyerturn and rebuild, but upon lines of
peace and good will.-Los Angeles Her
aid.