Evening journal., 1911-11-11
DEMOCRACY
AND SOCIALISM
By John S. Hamilton.


Just at this time we are hearing a
great deal about Socialism and It
really sometimes does appear as II we
were going to make a really radical
experiment. The writer has a great
deal Of sympathy and respect for a
radical, but he would contemplate II
he thought there was any danger OF II
an adventure such as the Socialist
brethren propose with q great deal
Of alarm. In having something TO say
on this subject It would only be pro-
per, the writer thinks, for him to say
that he is a democrat. II Will be
noticed that democrat is here spelled
with a small ID" and he, the writer
also wants It. 20 be understood that
while he has more often voted with the
Democratic party than with the Re-
publican party It has largely been as
a protest against the tendencies of the
party that happened to be in power
and never because the Democratic
party while in power during his time
gave any alarming symptoms of being
democratic
Democracy, however. appeals to the
writer as the only solution of the
problems Of government under pre-
vailing conditions. Democracy con-
templates an imperfect political unit
struggling towards a greater pertec-
tion. It acknowledges the existence
OF human weakness and provides
against inevitable delinquencies by q
system of checks and balances. De
mocracy is responsible to the evolu-
/ tionary process and Il aims at hold
| ing the elector in leash while nature
gets i'm it's work Democracy consid-
/ ers mankind as something in pro-
cess of development, something that
came from below and where every
| struggle is a more or less successful
| effort towards higher and better
things. Democracy without pretend
| ing to do so acknowledges the Divine
plan and was the conception primar-
| lily Of men who believe in God who
was working out the Eternal PURPOSE
In His own way. Democracy believes
that mans environment up TO date is
a man-made system, and If II is wrong
it is because that men ave deliberate
~ wrong, and if Il is ever improved
II will be by men becoming right. To
sum It up In a few words, Democracy
should not be called a political sys-
TEN. II is, and the writer thinks
ultimately will be regarded as re-
| ligion. II comes rs near teaching the
/ doctrine of love one another as any
/ thing that can be conceived by a man
/ II Is progressive and will adapt IT,
self 10 changing conditions. Ii will
/ hold the turbulent IN check under
/ imperfect conditions where the cleo.
tor is ignorant and UNIT, giving him a
chance to learn and improve, and a
perfectly administered democracy
would be the highest conception OF
Heaven in the present state Of human
intelligence.
Socialism. on the other hand, is
dihicult to define. II is rare, indeed
to get any large number of the be-
/ levers in the cult 10 agree They
/ can. therefore, only be estimated in
one way, and that Is TO discover il
you can where they are going. No
one can honestly question the good
intentions Of these people. They are
however. approaching an experiment
which the writer believes, If II should
go far, is almost sure TO be a failure
and a disastrous failure at that Any
system must depend upon the CONF
potency and the efficiency Of the units
that make It up There would be NO
demand for socialism ~ democracy
had not appeared TO have failed. The
writer denies the failure Of democ-
racy, but n it did fail. why? Was
/ It not because OF the inefiCiency OF
the units? Is there any comparison
between democracy and socialism
when you consider the two systems
( as regards their cumpleXity. ana their
/ apparent difficulties Of administra-
/ tion7 The writer thinks it will be ad-
mitted that democracy is simple and
easy compared with socialism as a
political system, and II this is true
I nc must be q sanguine dreamer who
| foadly imacines thai a very much
/ more complex system and one which
would cali for very different qualities
would succeed where u Is claimed
/ Ahat democracy has failed. In the
/ writer's opinion he repeats, democ.
racy has not failed and II II has ap-
| pearcd to do so IL is because of the
/ absence of the very qualities that so.
/ cialism must have 90 be a success
/ The truth of the matter is that social.
/ ism would fail before IL started and
| if tho time ever comes when men are
/ prepared for socialism, there will be
no need for it Meanwhile We want
democracy which will give men the
Kind OF government they deserve. The
! real democrat has no delusions oI
/ illusions on the subject He believes
that men will do wrong and he be-
lieves also that a large number OF
the electorate can unite to compel
the wrong-doers TO do something like
what's right This is democracy. and
It deserves TO have, and the writer be.
lieves it is going to have, fail
! chance.