The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-04-13
FOUNDATIONS OF DLMOCRA; Y.
The Pcrils and Safeguards of Cur
System of Government.

address Of the Rev. Henry Van DyNc,
DID,, Ll1. d., on Democracy and Ga
, turc,' delivered at the University of
ChicagO:
By Democracy We mean not a fixed
theory OF the State, nor Il particular
form ol government. We mean ten.
dency, spirit, currcrt Of ideas ana
aspirations. 1t is u srnsc not OF the
actual equality Of Hll mon as Il fact, but
OF their potential equality as Is hope.
IL Is The cndcarOr to realize this hone,
not Oy the concentration Of power in
thC haAd5 OF few, but by the dif-
/ luSlon OF power in the hands OF the
m"ny. These, it seems to me. are
som OF tbc notes Of true Democracy
aS We SEQ 1t working ont its saliva !
! tlon with fear and trembling in 0ur
! own country. Now as regards tOis |
! icar and trembling. let us actnuw ledge
frankly that they are not without ruu-
son, wnlIo aI the same time we muin- |
tam lhaI they arc perfectly consistent !
! with lhc most firm and loyal faith. We |
| believe that Democracy is right, llat |
| IT Will triumph in the end, that the !
! magnlhccnt experiment which is Row |
! H. progress IN our country will result |
! IN splendid success. But we are uut |
! unconscious OF certain inCuuVCniCuCcs |
| which attend the experimental stage ; |
nor ought we to bc careless Of certain |
| hangers which threatened to delay our
! national advance, and possibly TO Qi-
! vert it from its truC course so widely
that VIC may be forced into ono OF til $50
periods Of reaction, by which Il nation
that has too hastily followed a false
| lead returns upon its course IN order tc
get fresh start.
But in our material prosperity, our
rapid advance in mechanical invEn.
tlUnS and the arts Of life, the wide diff
| luSlOnS OF What the old uivinCS called
- creature COmfOrts,' aud in the COnSC-
quGnt good 'humOr ana self cOmDlacCn-
cy which prevail among the different
classes OF society, lies one Of our great.
est rcrils. We are in danger Of max
ing too much OF these things, and i'm
agining that there is something per-
maDcnt and stable about them. We arc
| Inclined u introduce | believe in ma
| ctiincry, Ha iii ilurticiu Oi O;r creed, and
| TO suppose that an American has only
| TO present himself before the Judge Of
| the universe with IL new Kind Of Sow
| ing machine, or an improved tGlC-
phone, or {" rnp!d-hrC gun, TO br crown
co at once with glory, and received into
the Kingdom Of Heaven, We arc
tcmplcd TO rely upon our physical
prosperity, our wealth., ON industrial
advance, as " "plcug1 Of security, and
TO adopt Il policy vi letting the more
important things take care Of them.
selves.
lhuo IL comes 10 pass thht tone 0l
HiiJ G"FcicsShcSs pCrV@dcS our poIll!C"i
nc. Large powers arc suffered to iAtI
ihlo tIic hah"S OF sNali ana lncomput-
ChI men. Our city governing nts speak
| "lIi' Nt'rIUu3 DrOGuCs. We receive
without discrimination, and almost
without thought, the misccllan, Gus
hordc& OF immigrants who are poured
upon our shores. Oar national uigcs,.
tion is powerful, but there is Il point
a. which it may break down and IT. is 4
serious question whether thr signs OF
OF political and social dvsprusin are not
already HUpnrcut. a Dcmucracv fan.
. iug into tin, hands of those who do uu,
understand what it means, nor AT heart
: believe in it, swiftly transforms itself
! INTO tyranny or into an anarchy. ~
!, republic must have mNrAI and tn@rIlrC-
, tuAI lounuallons. The COrnCr.aLonC Of
, | Democracy Is culture. Culture mus |
/ begin anu continue with fine di>rC-
g gard OF pCcuniary returns. IL must he
catholic, genial, disintCrcStUd It's Ob.
/ JccI Is TO make the shoe maker 20 be-
yond his last, and the clerk bcyunu
his desk, and TIC surveyor beyond his
chain, aud the lawyer beyond his Driuf
; and the doctor beyond ms prCaCrip-
tlon, and The preacher beyond his scr
/ mon.
what we ncCu at present Is not nGM
colleges with II power Of comforting d.
grccs, but more power in tHc existing
colleges 10 make men. 20 this end let
them hnvca richer endowment, Il fuller
equipment, BAT above all a revival OF
inc crcaIlVc lucal Ana ict everything
~ "ohc 10 DflhB toScthcr ..Ic hlEh
ncnoo'' INC normal achool, tho gram.
,h h"' ,;,,' ,ouooi' I"c primary SCI Hoi' ana
, ,io @ @,iVU,o lc" ScnooinousG sGmool' IN
vnr.i," shniiS ,iu III "n,a ,'' i"u", Iuo o'l!.
hTnor If vn,,r vil hn, nn, v"T r,,So - =,
brurs thr cIr,rrsi, unu IS ,''n,t ',,"nIfn1,
,niinn.n ,,' 's''U tooU 'I''
crrutr Mon v,hn n,,m .,,n ,.I',''rI, % y"
acme noblv. and think str,Jilv -
.,I.,
~ '''' '','"'' VI 'c''i"'i S "oS ''t' III
1''c i'o92oI"'"n "' 5uc'I Hlth. lopn'ar
"''"">~"' I"'''I2 "i''u"y ''o'I ""h1 y.