The Washington herald., 1914-09-08
What Is a Dynasty?
By EMORY J. HAYNES.

The ruling family IS Dynasty Inc perpetuaton
of the succession BY the right of birth, of chief
ruler of nation, the elder generally being eligi-
ble This selection, generation after generation, OF
the head of nation not by the peoples vote but by
their unquestioning assent, is the dynastc principle
Americans who cast ballots for their chief rulers,
the President and the Congress- the State governors,
and legislatures-we stand at quite the other ex-
treme of politics.
Now let us picture New York State city of
10000 inhabitants. Say that certain manufacture
has built it for the most part. There are several
leading families" They are, we will suppose, the
mill owners There is the Blank family for instance.
They gradually that they are the social lead
ers, and in all ways commendable they bestow bene-
fits If you want anything to go in that city get the
Blanks to head the movement. 1t has been this way
for 100 years. Ever since the original Blank built
the first milldam and started the developments Of
this water-power town.
But about fifty years ago the Ablank family got
started Their ancestor took to steam power And
he and his sons grew almost as rich the Blank
family. And you may be sure no great love was
wasted between the two leading families" Not a
bit Of it. There are others who steam, but not
tor more than the last thirty years. Still those other
families intelligent, industrious and thriving.
They can, many of them afford as fine automobiles
as even the Ablanks or the Blanks themselves
Then, grading down, there are some thousands of
families, of the bank clerk, the DOCTOR the grocer,
and the mill people All intelligent thrifty, self
vaIuing, and hundreds of these other families have
sent son or two through college. These nice boys
classmates, often of the very latest generation
OF the leading family, the Blanks.
Now can you conceive of the Blanks insisting that
their eldest son should rule the town? Demanding,
by an unwrtten law that he be always the mayor?
That is the story of the Hapsburgs, and the Hohen-
zollerns, and the RomanoFs.
And now,'in pictured city, we the precipi-
tation of struggle. Some cry that they for the
Blanks and some others for the Abanks Still other
aspiring families join in the strife But finally the
Blanks win out. They fasten themselves on the
backs and around the necks of the little city to be
supported Why should they be supported? Why?
Because their old milIdam has not been kept up by
vigorous sons, and the steam and electric power
owners have taken everything away from the poor
Blanks everything except their blue blood" and
that is thin it is blue.
Shall the Blanks starve? Our oldest ruling family,
who came here 100 years ago, they starve? They
protest that the town them a living and some
how-who really explain how?-the Blanks get
cheers and following. They fasten themselves,
like leeches, the town. They get into the city
budget and the town is taxed for their support
Every time daughter is wed Miss Blank is voted
dover by the common council You that if it
not the Blanks it might have been the Abanks,
and it is the easiest way out.
Not quite the easiest way out Suppose the city
rises up and challenges this ruling family by
battle of the ballot-box. The whole town awakes
morning and holds its own Incidence in derision
II demands by what right the Blanks fastened them
n
to the window and reply. They point to 100 years,
marked off the old town clock, as the reason
But, worst of all, they refer to the Deity, the
mon Father of all, the reason. Nor do they seem
to realize the insolent sscrege of the reference.
So there you have it, in epitome, dynasty. But
there would rise great and laughing American
shout, and some one would cry fond old cry,
e pluribus unun," and down would 80 the Blank
family