The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-18
American Democracy To-day.

Ex-senator Roor's stirring appeal
TO his countrymen to renew their de-
votiOn to "the principles Of American
liberty" was optimistic compared
with the views advanced by Mr..
Brooks ADAMS ia his article 1.-THE
American Democratic Ideal" in the
Yale Rcricm for January. The adj
dress and the article should be read
together.
Mr.. Roor presumes that his coun-
trymen will heed the appeal he makes
ii they listen to him Mr.. ADAMS
doubts whether the American people
will pay any attention to his exhorta-
ton to merge their indiyidualism In
the duty which the State requires Of
them II the State IL to endure. by
individualiSm Mr.. ADAMS does not
can the principle of individual lib
erty. lndividualism, rs he sees II In
the American nation. is II perversion
Of and n falling away from the true
democratic ideal. He would agree
with Mr.. Roof that the basic prln-
ciple OF our republic is that all lei
are created with ~inalienable rights
which governments are created to
preserve" Mr.. ADAMS would not put
the State above the individual in the
sense that he is the pawn Of the
State 10 lie moved about as II wills {:
but. on the other hand, he would not
have the individual set his personal
interests above the welfare and Sc
curity OF the State:
"No organized social eystem, such as
We commonly call a national civ.l,za-
ton. car cohere agair~t those enemics
which must certainly beset IT should II
fail to recognize n It's primary standard
of duty the obligation Of the individual
man and woman to sacrifice themselves
for the whole community In time Of
need"
This sounds fundamental: but in
America the individual Is inclined to
set himself up as the judge OF
whether he should give his services
to the State in the hour Of its ex-
trcmity. Says Mr.. ADAMS: 1.-THE
power to determine when the moment
Of need has arisen lies not with the
individual but with society in It's cor
porate capacity" He has never been
an admirer of Germany, but he does
not understand how universal mill
tary service conflicts with the true
democratic ideal. Hostility In this
country to the principle of the Ger
man system (which Americans dis
guised under the phrase Of faith in
democratic ideals" puzzled him
upon returning after the declaration
of war from France, where he had
seen the "wholc manhood" of the re
public marching to the frontier with
out n murmur and without a Quaver,'
He reluctantly formed this opinion;
THE real tyranny against which my
countrymen revoltcd vas the tyranny OF
universal self-sarriice. II they hated
German universal military service be
cause It vigorously demanded a sacrifice
from every man. from which sacrifice
they personally shrank."
Therefore Mr.. ADAMS conclude,
that the democratic ideal Of this gen
Grafton CONSISTED in the principle
that no man or woman should b'
forced to conform to any standard OF
duty against their will, or, In short
in the principle Of universal selfish
ness lie q q this point of view
: working out in Legislation by Con
: gress In the interest OF individual
ana localities with no thought of Tho
common welfare: he sees 1t In tn
strife between capital and labor, boti
sides often exhibiting greed IN,
tyranny, with little or no regart