The Detroit times., 1915-10-23
The Oligarchios
DY Or. FRANK CRANE
Copyright. 1915. by Frank Crane)

the world is its olgarchy, that class
which 10y the cumulative stupidity of GUS
tom has got itself into the saddle and
rides the rest.
II is this class, in Russia in Germany,
in Austria, and in England, that has
brought on this war by its vicious sell
lishness and by its inability to govem a
people for the peoples welfare.
If the bureaucracy of Russia, the
junkers of Germany. the mobiles of Aus
tria, and the aristocracy of England
could be eliminated, the common people
of all these lands would ground arms and
20 back home and about their business
Intelligent observers cannot resist the
conviction that, whichever side conquers
in the present struggle things will be
little better for the people for whose sake
and welfare all states are supposed 10
exist
Things will not improve until there
shall come some upheaval in which the
people shall unhorse their masters and
organize government for themselves.
Which aligarchy shall dominate Eu-
rome, or the seas, does not much concern
the world; the important concern is to
get rid Of them all ard somehow to or
ganize mankind for manldnd's sake.
The real party TO which foreseeing
souls belong is that to which Victor
Hugo said he belonged, "the party of rev.
dictionary civilization; the party which
will control the twentieth century; and
out Of which must come the United
States of the World
Frank Harris has written a book,
England or German" in which he
tells some bitter things about the domi-
nant classes of England
He compares the English noble with
the Prussian iunker. saying that, while
the junker ideal IS that of an efficient
soldier, proud hard, and willing at any
moment TO throw away his life, the ideal
Of the English noble is 10 do as little as
possible. and 20 marry an heiress, even
IN American, rather than live in strait
Cned ways
: The whole English caste he declares
20 be founded on wealth the common
nickname of "The Beerage" showing IF
what elements the English peerage is
made. The soul-destroying influence Of
this idle. parasitic class is deadly its
aim is to live magnifcenty without
! n
vor-indeed. all the household virtues
are discredted
Emerson said that this class Cow
cred the dignity of manhood II does
infinitely worse than that, declares MIR.
Harris. at poisonS the founts of honor
at the source, and injects subtle, all
.pervading venom through all the veins
Of n nations life; it enfeebes the army,
IL -. -N,tlt tEal larr-
iylature. degradeS the church. SO long
rs Great Britain preserves this oligarchy
in it's present form it cannot hope to be
among the nations that lead the modern
world: this one institution handicaps it
out of the race"
Three-quarters Of a century ago Helm
/ rich Hcinc visited England and wrote
his "Fnglische Fragmente,' in which he
uses these biting words that all lovers
of English ideals would do well to pom
der
"EuElands MOBILES hold themselves far
above the common ruck of mankind
/ lick beings Of a higher sort they re-
gard England as comfortable hotel,
/ Italy as their winter garden, Paris as a
gay reception room and the whole world
as their property Without care or duty
or effort they are content to live like
gods, with gold as the talisman to graf
Ijfy every widest wish.
Heinc left England, he tells us, to get
away from gentlemen and live among
ordinary knaves and fools, who had at
least some clear understanding Of hui
man squalor.
Mr. Harris book is written with un-
diInifed passion ard undoubted oXag-
geration, but it contains sor1e ugly
truths which the democracies Of the
world. who fancy it is their battle that
IS now waging, might do well 10 read
mark. learn and inwardy digest