The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1913-01-25
OUTLOOK FOR
DEMOCRACY
By Woodrow Wilson.
An exclusive article published
IN Tuesdays n .. Daily States J
By Woodrow Wilson.

In the early years Of the twen
tieth century We are again assnm
ing the attitude which we assam
ed IN the beginning Of the nlne
teenth century. The nineteenth Il
century, with all its associations
Of the setting up Of a free govern
ment iD America, looked forward
to Al age in which humanity, tht
rank aud file Of men, should be
served by the institutions Of gov
ernmeDt.
But we had set up this happy
experiment in . country 80 abun
dainty furnished with wealth, &c
extraordinarily provided with op-
p0rtuDity for ali sorts and condi
tions Of men, that suddenly We
got drunk with the mere wine OF
prosperity, and tor little while
forgot that our mission was NOT
TO PILE UP GREAT WEALTH,
BUT TO SERVE MANKIND
WITH HUM ANlTY AND JUS
TICE
Through this long century. dur.
ing which it has seemed from
time to time a. ii We were forget
ting what America was set up to
do, the world has slowly come
around TO the point of view which
the men who set up the govern
ment Of the United States had in
the beginning. We are now aware
that We are not going t. be served
by institutions; that mere finely
conceived constitutions do not
constitute the body Of liberty;
that the body Of l,oerty can be
had only in the nse Of institutions
to serve the permanent needs Of
the rank ami file.
So We are learning again that
the service Of humanity ia the
business Of mankind, and that the
business Of mankind must DO set
for ward by the governments which
mankind sets up, in order that
justice may be Gone and mercy
not forgotten.
What iS It that we wish to do
now IN the year 1881 1t must be
PLAIN to all OF Us that the people
Of this country wish two things
They wish, first, to clear their gov
ernment for action by making it
free, and then, when it is free,
they wish to use it, not to serve
any class or any party, but 10
serve civilization and tho human
race.
Ii the government Of the United
States has drifted away from the
ideals or the fathers, the Demo
cratic party is not responsible for
that drift. II the economic con-
troll Of the United States IL now in
the hands Of . small body Of men,
it is not due 10 any policy that the
Democratic party has advocated,
or promoted or consented to.
The Democratic party has been
preaching these doctrines Of llber-
ty and service and offering leaders
10 carry them out 10 season and
ont of season.
We did not wait until the year
1912 to discOvor that the PLAIN
PEOPLE OF THE UNITED
STATES HAD NOTHING TO
SAY ABOUT THEIR GOVERN.
MENT. We have been talking
about that for half q generation
and more; w have been giving
warning OF the very things that
have come to pass, time out of
mind; We have kept . straight
course; We have never turned our
faces for one moment from the
faith that was In "a, the faith Of
the common people Of this great
common wealth, this great body Of
common wealths, this great nation.
and now what 10 happeniDgi
With renewed hopes, with re.
newed confidence, with renewed
order, under leaders chosen after
the freest fashion that our politics
have ever witnessed untrsmmel
ed leaders-th8 Democratic party
10 proceeding along these paths of
conviction.
The great Democratic party, for
the first time in our generation,
has chance to show whether 1t
can return the government to the
people, for this 10 the enterprise
to which It has been ever devoted.
Ever since the great Jefferson
sI.Oke the Immortal truths which
are the fouOdation stones Of our
doctrine, this party has devoted
itself with siDgleness OF heart,
through adversity Of the most pro
loOgod sort, 10 that cause whlcl,
lies dear to every mans lips, but
which only some serve in seaaOD
and out of seaeon-I mean the
cause Of the common people OF the
(Inited States.
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