Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-08-11

aristocrats, that the question, in so far
as governmental affairs were concern
ed, was finally settled in favor Of the
present system of genuinely popular
control.
But truth compels the declaration
that the class idea is not dead. 1t does
not flourish so much along original
| lines perhaps. The result Of the Rev.
olutionary war and the brave battle
won by Jefferson made that impossi-
lble. The real genius Of the country
recognized the force of the claim that
the voice of a God-fearing people Is
really and truly the voice Of God, and
the continual domination of snobbery
was made impossible. Snobbery con-
tinues to exist, of course, as an ele-
mentary disease in the political, social
and religious life Of the nation, and
| in every division of 1t down to the
smallest community; but it dominates
and prevails now only where men and
women who are the victims Of 1t are
too ignorant or too cowardly to tram
pie it under foot.
Among the enemies Of the full and
free individual liberty that has its
guarantee in the declaration Of inde-
pendence and the constitution Of the
United States, are political rings, bus
mess and industrial combinations, So
cial cliques, and church factions. All
these flourish from the smallest begin
nings to the most far-reaching devel-
opments-from tennis club foundations
to international consequences; but the
origin of all of it that is harmful is
more or less certainly traceable down
to individual selfishness and lack of
integrity. A half dozen people, more
or less, are frequently able to perfect
an organization that will in time DOM
mate a community, socially, politically
and otherwise. Shrewd, designing men
and women are often able to handle
men less shrewd and designing, but
more worthy and influential, and
through them direct the lives Of still
others who never even realize that they
have been made pawns in a game.
One of the most powerful means Of
trolling the thought, action and
aspiration Of people is through the
science of social organization. The
millions of average people never give
this a thought. When considering at all
the power through which they are con-
trolled their minds run to kings, presi-
dents, congress, etc. But people who
are better informed understand how
congress is Influenced by social power,
and history is full of facts and circum-
stances showing how kings and empe-
rors have carried out their policies of
state even to the making Of war and Of
peace through means Of the social pa
tronage and power in their hands. In
q like manner less pretentious political
organizations are controlled, and still
in like manner shrewd schemers are
frequently able to control municipal
governments, common school districts
and even church organizations.
But all this does not argue that So
cial organization is an evil or men,
ace Social organization-proper So
cial organiZation-is as necessary to
the life, well-being and uplift Of man
kind as is civil law itself. Man Is so
constituted that he could not tolerate
himself otherwise. 1t Is absolutely in
!dispensible that the Importance of va
rous members of the body polite be
graded in accordance with the recog-
nized qualifications and merits Of each.
and ii is because Of this fact that the
control Of such organization furnishes
such an opportunity for power. Also
because of the tremendous power in
volved, it is all the more incumbent
upon each and every member Of a
community to be all the more Jealous
of his or her rights and see that social
control is based upon real merit, rather
than upon hypocricy, false pretenses
and sham, as is the fact in so many
thousands of cases.
Handsome is as handsome does" is
a trite old truth that has the approval
of good common sense, and according
to this same measure, there is possible
an aristocracy of true manhood and
womanhood that is loyal to integrity
of character, honesty, virtue and prop
er consideration of the rights of 9TH
ers. This aristocracy does not ask re-
matter of fact, it is force, or rather
a power, against which there can be
no successful resistance; but as COM
pared with the aristocracy of arrogant
assumption, the gall Of egotism and
self assurance, based upon spurious
claims of alleged superior ancestry,
and supported by Cammora-like con-
spiracy, it is as far removed as is the
darkness from light. 1t is often tenn
porarily effective of course, in the es-
tablishment of social prestige, which it
may also use in building up political
and even business advantage; but it's
tenure is invariably gauged by the
quality of it's would-be dupes. Men and
women who lack the intelligence to
see through such sham, or who are
willing to remain subservient to it, are
but appropriate material for such a
system.
In monarchical countries like Eng
land Russia, Germany, Austria, etc,
the social condition and status Of the
individual is so irrevocably fixed at
birth that there is but little possibil-
| ity that there can ever be a change.
AS it is in those countries now it was
$50 years ago. 1t was because of these
conditions more than any other one
thing that brought about the declara-
tion of independence, which says all
men are born free and equal. Repeat
ed and persistent efforts to blot out
and nullify this fundamental propo-
sition has brought to this country
more trouble than all other causes.
The declaration of independence means
as much today as it did one hundred
and thirty five years ago, and the man