The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-18
Ideals of Democracy.

In the posthumous "reminiscences Of
Carl Schurz he tells of the shocks he
received during his early years in
America. He had built up beautiful
conception Of a self-governed people
while fighting for republic in Ger
many, but his ideal was rudely shat
tered by what he saw of political con-
ditions in the American republic, He
saw sordid politicians in places of pow
er, working for the graft instead of
for the common good. He saw dema-
gogs triumphant and "pull'' the essen
tial in officeholding. He wrote some
discouraged letters back to his friends
in Germany, but later on be realized
that his mistake was in expecting per-
lection. This is the way he reasoned
it out: ,s
The newly arrived European demo-
crat, having lived in a world Of theo-
ries and imaginings without having had
any experience of a democracy at
asks himself I r this 'n rea n,S' '1 peo
pie living in freedom9 Is this real
ization Of my ideal?' He will be
puzzled and perplexed until it dawns
upon him that in condition of real
freedom man manifests himself, not as
nc ought to be, but as he is, with all
his bad as well as his good qualities,
instincts and impulses; with all his at
tributes Of strength as we'll as all his
weaknesses; that this, therefore, is not
an ideal state, but simply a state
in which the forces. of good have
a free field as against the forces
Of evil, and in which the victo-
progress are not achieved by
the people, for their benefit, but by the
people themselves. Such victories Of
the forces Of good may be slow in be-
ing accomplished, but they will be all
the more thoro and durable in their eff
fects, because they will be the product
Of the peoples own thought and ef-
fort.
Mr.. schurz simply discovered over
again, for himself, the axiom that the
stream cannot rise higher than its
source, that in the long run people who
govern themselves get the kind of gov
eminent they want. They elect to
govern themselves thru representative
citizens, and the men chosen do not al
ways carry out the popular will. These
men may for gain and selfish interest
contrive to defeat the real interests of
the people. Then, of course, they are
not representing the electorate, but the
people have always a remedy. They
can select their best men. Instead of
electing a man because he wants the
office, they can elect man who will
honor the place and give faithful pub
lie service. IF they do not care enough
about their welfare to choose the high
er type of public servants, then the
fault is in the people, in their indiffer-
ence, their ignorance, OF their low
standard of morality.
So the public service reflects the pri-
vate character. Of the people. It may
be worse for time; it is seldom bet
ter. No close student of our history
will deny that the standard of honesty
and efficiency in public life is higher
than it was thirty, fifty or hundred
years ago. The people as a whole may
not be better. From the Puritan stand
point our great influx Of foreign citi-
zens has lowered the average morality.
The process Of assimilation, Of Ameri-
canization, carries with it many diff
culties. There is less Indifference,
however, and less ignorance of public
affairs among the voting population.
They are approaching nearer the reali-
ty of self-government than ever before
in the nation s history. 81.