The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-11-13
Shall China Go
Back to Monarchy:
BY Or. FRANK CRANE
Copyright, 1915. BY Frank Crancl

adviser TO Yuan Shi Kai, president of the
Chinese republic
In recently published statement DR..
Goodnow gives his reason why China
should no longer continue the danger
Gus experiment of democracy, but
should become a monarchy.
These reasons are nothing new. They
have been used 10y the stand-patters re-
actlonares and opponents of special
privilege ever since man emerged from
his cave dwellings and began the thorny
enterprise of civilization.
The gist of them all is that people are
not competent TO govern themselves and
should not essay democracy until they
are sufficiently educated.
We have heard this since the world
began. The PtolemieS OF Egypt the ar
chons of Greece and gentlemen who
ruled before Noah doubtless lucuhraIed
the same sort Of mcubrations.
There is a continuous outcroppng of
royalists in France, who insist that the
country will never be tit TO live in until
some pigeon-headed Bourbon is once
more on the throne The wiseacreS have
been shaking their heads and tut-tut-
ting ever since Portugal got rid of it's
ne'er-do-well crowned family. The 20
or so American republics receive the
combined sneers of European statesmen.
Still, ii would. be difficult to conceive
how republics could have botched the
Job of government worse than the en-
perors and cars and kings have done.
The French Revolution was childs play
compared to the hideous collapse of hu-
mainly in the present war. Where
Robespierre and Danton killed one, the
royal miscreants Of this present time
are killing a hundred And the revolu-
ton WAS for an idea. This Wretched war
is for nothing at all.
The same arguments that set forth
the advantages of monarchy are used
TO support all kinds Of autocracy. De-
mocracy in business is opposed as siren
uously as democracy i'm politics. Portly
gentlemen and their hired advocates in
sist that the laborer cannot prosper un-
less the millionaire manages the business
for him. Everything from prolit-sharing
and labor unions to socialism is regarded
as destructive 10 efficiency
The only possible way TO develop our
resources and get rich, we are told. IS
TO hand the management OF affairs over
to a chosen few. AS for the common run
Of us, let us be content with dollar a
day and that station in life in which it
hath pleased Providence TO place US.
The only trouble with this line II talk
is that it is not true. Aside from that,
it Is very convincing.
1t is true that the people Of no state
on earth-New York, the Philippines, or
Mexico-are competent 60 govern them
selves wisely. But THE ONLY WAY
THEY CAN BECOME COMPETENT IS
TO KEEP on TRYING. To slump back
into the medieval plan of government by
mobiles is TO retard progress.
THE BEST AND ONLY SCHOOL
FOR DEMOCRACY Is DEMOCRACY
The South American republics are far
from perfect, but they are deal nearer
perfection than if they had remained un-
der Spanish rule
With all the turmoil in Mexico the
Mexicans are vastly better off than if
Diaz still reigned They are coming to
themselves They are finding out their
own weakness and strength
Some day every monarchy has 10 go
down. and all of them 90 down in blood.
Property may be destroyed in Z revo-
luton and fnanciers and advcnturers dis
commoded but the people are not de-
stroyed: they get the one priceless boon
liberty: they learn the one invaluable
lesson-Self reliance.
AFTER THIS EUROPEAN WAR
MUST COME THE GREAT REVOLT
TON. for it is unthinkable that the peo-
pie will continue in the twentieth century
TO allow themselves 10 be DESTROYED by
the rulers that have got them into so
meaningless and caUse1esS calamity.
Why then should an American the
president Of an American university.
lend his name to the old, moth-eaten, and
specious arguments for monarchy in the
case Of China?
Some day the Chinese must learn to
govern themselves. The only way TO learn
that is by practice in democracy. And
the sooner they begin, the better.
If the Chinese, beguiled by Yang TIL,
Sun Tu Yum Yen Fuh Hu Wing, and Or.
Frank Goodnow, saddle a new monarchy
upon themselves. they may find. the task
easy but il will not be so easy to unsad-
die when the times comes-as come it al
ways does.