New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-11
Intermittent Democracy
The People Must Gain Means to Make
Their Will Effective
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: It is pathetcsly amusing, the wonder
full preparations the Administration is max
ing for the battles that will be fought after
the war is over and peace is restored. The
Allies want help now. Two years hence IN
less they manage to win without our assist
ance, We shall either be facing a war with
Germany alone or brayely making Roadway
in paying the accumulated ndemnties. OF
course. allowance must be made for the enor
nous amount Of preliminary work that has
to be done, but the silencing Of Rear Admiral
Fiske the Punishment Of General Wood, the
rejection Of President Roosevelt, the censor
ing Of Marshal JoGre and the attempted
bridling Of the press-these are the really
sincere and characteristic acts Of the Wilson
Daniels-Baker Administration. They are fatal
indications for the effective aid that America
offers humanity. What answer would Mar
shall Joffre give to a question whether France
wants Roosevelt and his Hundred Thou
sand sent to the front? viii Wilson and
Daniels and Baker risk asking him that ques
ton publicly and let the newspapers print
his answer, even if it were stipulated that his
answer be one word only, yes or no?
Wilson's speech TO Congress was a great
speech. He should receive for it the Nobel
frze for literature, but unless it be made
good and made good in time. it is as sound
ing brass and tinkling cymbas. It's real
greatness lay in that it accurately expressed
the will and the ideals Of the American peo-
pie not that it expressed the spirit and poll
icy of the Administration, which it did not.
President Wilson meant that speech only in
so far as he should find that he had to. The
will of the American people has still to be
made effective, and the Administration tha'
persistently opposed preparedness, that called
preparation unnecessary fanaticism" and
that tried to wage war by literary bluff IS
still the greatest obstacle in the way, now as
before. But the people of the United States
can do nothing. They must "stand behind
the President and take the consequences.
An Autocracy for -Four Years
Our helplessncss lies in the fact that the
United States is only an intermittent denoc-
racv. Under war conditions, now, for IN
stance. we are for four years a democracy III
name only, but in fact an autocracy ms
complaint Of hclplessness is not merely
complaint OF the helplcssness Of the oppo-
ncnts OF the Administration. The President
is himself enfeeblcd by it. No President can
conduct a war efficiently unless he has the
solid support of the people. This will be
taken by some to mean that it is the duty OF
every American myself for example, up
hold whatever President Wilson docs, and IN
case Of his failure, neglect or incompetence
TO remain periodically silent And this, so
far as our acts are concerned, We are under
the Constitution for four years compelled to
do, whatever his course. But this Is not de-
mocracy. Democracy is government which IN
person and in policy represents the VIII OF
the people. In a true democracy # the pol
lev of the Administration loses the support
Of the people, the will Of the people prevails,
and prevails Immediately. With u, now, the
will of one man may prevail even against the
will Of the people. or conversely, that man
is compelled to bear the burden of response
bility for an arbitrary four years whether or
not he have behind him the essential Of his
power, the support of the people. The Presl-
dent cannot resign, nor, however bitter or
even unjust the opposition, he cannot, as can
the Premier of Great Britain. point to his
continuance IN once as lflti uldblc PROOF lhd1
he has the support Of the people. So also, on
the other side. the American people can do
nothing but must take the consequences OF
administrative error or incompetence until
four years are up, however costly, however
bloody however fatal TO national honor and
to world freedom those consequences may be.
The American people should have const-
tutional right and means to revise their de-
cisions in the light Of greater wisdom or Of
changed conditions. They should not be
bound for an arbitrary length of time by de-
csions which may at one time have been wise,
but which are so no longer. America sorely
needs some constitutional means for an APP
peal to the country, such as England has,
some constitutional provision whereby the
people can always control the person and pol
icy Of their government and carry their will
into effect. Is it not good time, even now.
during the war, TO take up consideration Of
this question. looking toward its wise and ef-
fective solution? Germany ought not defer
until after the war her entrance into the
ranks of the democracies We ought not de-
fer until after the war the perfecting of our
democracy.
WILLIAM CHAUNCY LANGDON.
Amherst, Mass, May Q, 1917.