The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-02-26
DEMOCRACY.
A Survey Of Its Theoretical and Ac.
tual Qualities.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sr:
with certain reservations you say
"the present war in Europe is n struggle
between autocracy and democracy.
Whether the reservation" is not OF the
TRUTH, the whole truth and nothing but
the truth Is an open question.
webstcr's Dictionary tells us that an
''autocrat' IL one who rules by ciaim
Of his own paramount authority. as ior
instance. the Car. one OF whose ai,les
Is "Autocrat Of All the Russias." h
autocrat Is fighting for the Anglo-Frenoh
bondholders, fighting most sturdily. In
| deed had IL not been for his invasion OF
| East Prussia in 1914 the French would
have been swept back. do your "reser-
| v~ations' include Autocrat Nicholas?
Does the German Kaiser, as Kaiser.
claim to rule the German Empire by
! reason OF his own paramount authority !
Scarcely. His powers are derived from
a written Constitution. Just as President
Wilson'S are. One of the provisions OF
that instrument exacts universal (male)
suffrage in elections for members OF the
imperial legislative body. No tax can
be levied TO support the army or Tor
| any other purpose without the consent
Of a majority of the representatives OF
| all the adult males In Germany. What
| docs a Government amount to apart from
is power OF taxation? Little or moth
| ing, we should say to-day. A hundred
\ and fifty years ago the Earl OF Chatham
said that taxation Is no part oil gov
| eminent But his observation was only
! A historical argument. not Il vital truth.
The power to tax. implying the power to
destroy, is vital to every Government
| Without 1t executive power is futile
And this power Of the purse resides in
the majority Of the representatives oil
all the adult male Germans.
Thai this system Is real democracy
| the Cambridge Modern History in the
preface TO the last volume readily con
cedes. when 1t says that In German!
democracy has been found consistent
with a strong monarchy. that is, al
efficient executive.
on the other hand, does The English
system OF government provide for the
registration Of the will OF the majority
of the English people? Hardly. Whita
ker states that in 1915 one-third only oi
the males in England can vote for mem
bers of Parliament that Is probably
two-thirds OF the adult males. In Eng
land IA man does not vote because III
is "a man. No. The voting right Is llk'
a coupon attached 10 II rent receipt
If an Englishman pays 80 much rent t'
his landlord he is adjudged worthy 4
WIZ " dh ~ ~ ~"
democracy?
As to the executive branch OF gov
eminent. the branch that gives enec'
TO the resolutions Of the Legislature, i
appears that in England the head OF TN
Treasury. OF the army, OF TIRE navy de
partments, &C., are men elected by TN
electors of one or another parliamentar!
constituency. just AZ state treasurer
and canal commissioners are In ON
states elected by popular vote. Whereas
in such executives are APP
pointed. just as Alexander Hamilton!
Edwin NJ. Stanton and Elihu Root were
Does the appoiutiye system pre'lude tn
efficient carrying u OF popular man
dates? Does the elective system insur
II" Has not our democracy learne
that the most certain method or insur
ing graft and inefiiciency in the eNecu
tive branch of the government is b.
multiplying the number Of electe'
executives II. Il. SlEBESEcK.
New YORK. February 20.