The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1903-11-12

its agents. These are but trustees and
stewards accountable. TO thc peoples in
tclligcnt will. Orhcr. they are dafaulters.
Believing that under God man shall not
fail. believe uttery in democracy as the
final experiment OF tine. up to which all
others have led. il this idea is bani;rupted
all goes down. Only as it reasons deeply
Is 10 the source of its rights and the
scope of its duties shall il avert failure
and catacySm. God, or the deluge!
i believe in democracy because | hold
that man is not Il mechanism but a me.
chauic-that every individual soul OF the
race is sacred, that the probation OF man.
kind lies in the full consent 10 human
equality before God, and to all the equities
| which that involves. Here stands the last
bulwark against tyranny. This must be
the method, il there be any, before which
a false subordinatiOn and false insub-
ordination are both 10 be banished The
salvation OF the peoples is in divine hu-
! man society which at last shall realize the
! whole purpose Oh Jesus Christ. 1t has
not yet been seen: but TO this bear AL
| the prophets witness "a society feeling
| all its common responsibilities, and "eacil
for all'' fulfilling every reEarion--this, and
| because IL is ideal. is the tinality In
| it democracy and Christianity would
| meet, and righteousness wed peace,
| L
| the task and travail OF time-to doubt
| that it can be is to surrender the cause Of
| mankind.
There "a now IN come quarters a sickly
and sentimental dissent from the goal OF
democracy. and coTardlv whispered
preference against the substantive claim
OF man as man. This reluctancy from the
burden of the problem and disregard of
the good Of the mapr Is ordinarily tracea-
be to a selfish and absentee spirit. 1t
assumes to distrust what love OF ease dis
|, likes, and what comfortable and eomp.s-
cent apathy would postpone. Its invest
ments are all in the present, rs it is, and
il will take no stock in the future as it
should be. 1t interprets the major con-
alterations of hie by the minor .'The of
tense of the cross is not ceased" But il
Is crucifixion that leads to resurrection.
Away with this droning and whining pes
simism.
And, on the other hand, there are those
who appiaud democracy without reckoning
it's principles and its foundations. Be
tween it and ahsolutism there is, in times
long run, no logical half way. Can man
learn that democracy brings no one down,
hut every one up: Can man learn its
reciprocities and its emancipations? Will
man see the basilar doctrine OF the in
herent value and birthrigbt of each several
soul-value to itself. 20 all others and to
the one God of all.
Il not. then all falls apart and society
not made M Of a bulk OF subservients and
few preferred creditors is fatuity and
dream. and the Nazarene was a dreamer.
But that way lies the madness of anarchy:
Any government is, at given time.
parts) who believe in it and are ready to
back that belief. Ultimately it is as
strong as it has principles worthy to be
believed in. The bottom idea OF dem
ocraty is the utmost diffusion of two
things: ta) authority, (bl responsibility.
Both Of these. Neither goes well OF far.
or can stand fast, alone. These balanced
centrifugal ard certripGtal forces main
tain the orbit. All the phases and hopes
OF IL genuine and rational democracy are
reduclble to the balance of this Goub.c
idea. The duality is critical.
By this as definition I will stand
that true democracy is government in
which every whole man. ana because a
man, counts one. Persons are the units,
and government or, by and for these IS
the sum of all its parts. It's spirit is as
great as the number of spirits that share
it, and as good az the numha- OF good
spirits that share it. Its division exactly
equals the dividend, and the quotient is
ore.
Division or labor" which Is made to
democracy. Since. in this long division
OF 'authority md responsibility" every
man should be lifted to count one. Dem
ovraCy neaaces Itself, denies its raison
d'ctre. whe., it for Il moment neglect5 To
seek this fitness OF its merits. Represen-
tation is OF these fit merits The p~oxy
is valid only in this The ballot atii-ms
the Importance Of each integer. Its qus;-
fled intelligence and its unmolested free.
dom is its safety, that always it shall be
counted as one. and never more or less.
9, manhood: less, it were tyrannizcd;
more. il were tyrannical. To corrupt. to
seducc. 10 intimidate or To suppress it is |
TO violate democracy. Democracy alone
causes the rights OF Il minority to fear \ |
majority For all and by all this recog- !
nitron OF man declares that because every |
man should cr ant one he shall! No other |
method OF government declares this, or /!
attempts TO realize it. Resting its case |
upon "tac right assessment OF what con- |
stitutes human value,' it implies that |
rights and duties are strictly cnrre.ative |
and reciprocal. IT. studies its rIies in the |
Court IS governed by this overruling equi- |
ty. Democracy is its test and its dictun.
II is the ultimate national refuge oil the |
people. II gives the higher law.
The distribntive assignment of govern
mcnt Is the radical end Of democracy, not |
descending to man. but ascending with !
him. IL IS not paternai. bul fraternsl.
Human ethics rising from loyalty to
one mere tribe or can - tsimaciitish!-
rises toward the comprehension or man
right. The history of this growth Of hu-
mar institutions. making and rcmaking |
themselves. discovers that they move with |
the instnc; OF generic human life. The
impulse strengthens as il By hydrostatir
pressure. That great democrat. Lincoln; !
that splendid representative of the fine
old aristocratic Jamily of man. said well,
in 1856. what has the broadest possible
application: They vino deny freedom
to others deserve it not for themselves.
and under the rule OF a just God cannot
long retain it, The paramount doctrine
of equal rights is that each soul has di-
vine right, a kingly and knightly right.
10 all the liberty he can use. and has the
right to stand un. in his Makers image.
TO show what he can use. Its formative
is that a just society lies in
the good 81 I'll its clements. and that this
good lies in the removing. by puck or
powder. OF all avoidable hindrances to
! no affirmation of social persunality lies !