The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-07-27
Part Of a History Of the United States


/ cial to the favored few, it is almost en-
tirely injurious TO the unfavored multi
tude 1t places the soil out OF reach. re-
moves 1t from the competition of the in
dustrious, tends to place It where 1t !:
least useful to the race. In creating q
land monopoly. a landed aristocracy. the
law establishes caste. Inevitab bly, the
system evolves the abuses seen in the
older countries
Once rich always rich; once poor
always poor" Whenever such a state
| ment can be made OF any people, prog
ress has ceased and decay set in.
An arIstocracy Of intelligence. virtue,
meritorious achievement Mr. Jefferson
recognized as all men recognize 1t; but
| this natural aristocracy owes no homage
to mere wealth. It's glorious ranks draw
| from novels recruits who come uniformed
In sober gray as well as from man
/, sions. where purple and fine linen are
! worn.
To found aristocracy on birth and he
reditarv wealth IS to make accident the
test. depriving nature of its right to Sc
| lect. To make character, intelligence. no
BILE work, high purpose the standard Is
| to put it where the golden spur will be
worn by him who wins it.
! In the order OF nature no Chatterton
would starve in his garnet, having
stretched out his hand in vain supplica-
tIon to Walpole. the grandee.
| Only in a system where diabolical art
| contrivance selfish convention aad
thwarted nature would Burns break his
heart IN squalid poverty-lacking the cost
OF the daily feed of the duke Of Devon
| shIres dogs.
1t was not nature. but a. system carved
ont with pens. barriers thrown up by
statute. which kept Oliver Goldsmith I'M
der the wheels while marquises Of
Queensbury ana dukes OF Grafton rode
in the gided coach
Thomas Paine writes Common Sense
to redeem people and make them hap
Ply: this reward Is debit account of
about one hundred dollars which he
must pay to his publisher. Edmund Burke
writes his pamphlet against democracy.
and his reward "a the smile OF king,
applause OF the aristocracy aud pen
sion OF ten Thousand dollars per nnnum.
which democratic taxpayers must pay.
Nature is not SO unjust. Every beast
of the field had its chance to graze; every
bird Of the air its chance to fly and feed;
every fish of the sea Its chance to swim
and live The strongest. the tittest, sur
Vived the competition. but the chance to
compete was always there.
Democracy aims to give all a chance
1t refuses to entrench any class IN tho
secure possession of the blessings OF ma
ture to tbs exclusion of ali other classes
IT refuses to admit that all the merit Is 70
be found in any one class. 1t refuses 70
believe that the family which is nObleSt
today viii be the noblest a thousand years
from today. 1t refuses 10 despair OF the
poor and ignorant, refuses to stop the
wheels Of evolution, declines 10 ciose the
avenues OF promotion, refuses 10 put mp
social, political, educa tional barriers
which none but the wealthy may pass
refuses to lend It's law making power to
the strong who would exact eternal
tribute from the weak. That the strong
are strong. democracy cannot help, but
it can avoid the deep ddmnation of help
ing the strong to oppress the weak.
In nature the race is not always to the
swift, nor the battle to the strong; in
class legislation, in class government. it
Invariably is the law being made for the
purpose.
Democratic in the highest. best sense of
the word MI. Jefferson now buckled on
his armor TO wage war with the aristoc-
racy of Virginia The contest was stub
born. bitter ana protracted. bat his tri-
ulnph was complete in the end. lie un-
fettereG fhe land, changed the tenure
from fee-tail to fee simple made the soil
democratic, and made the law to CORE
spond Henceforth the family estate was
10 be divided equally among all the chill
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