The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-03-23
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mocracy has survived in spite of mill
tary training; why has this been
There are three main reasons. In the
! first place, under Louis XIV and Ma
poleon, the French had their eXper-
fence of militarism and imperialism
They discovered they were bad in
vestments for the people and reacted
strongly from them into democracy.
In the second place, the whole
thought of the French people was
long ago very thoroughly impregnat-
ed with democracy by the great in
dependent French writer's and phil
osophers - Rabelais, Voltaire, Ros-
seau, Montaigne, Calvin and a score
of others. The principles of these
men still live in France; their
thoughts have become the thoughts of
the common people. They have filled
France with self-reliant democracy,
that even compulsory service cannot
destroy. And finally, France had her
terrific popular revolution, in which
the working people shed their blood
in rivers before the altar of freedom.
That was only little over hundred
years ago, and it made democracy
durable power in France, that moth
ing has so far been able to break.
But while France is practically i'm
mune from the effects of militarism,
or was up to the present war, Ger
many and the United States are COM
paratively defenseless against it.
Germany never had real popular
revolution, nor have we. Until re-
Gently, Germany had not had her
disease of Imperialism. She is going
through it now, while we are appar-
emily at the beginning of our at
tack. And neither Germany nor the
United States has ever developed
line of great popular democratic lead
ers, whose thought has profoundly
the psychology of the nation
service has enslaved the Ger
man people; and yet, by nature, the
Germans, since Caesars time, have
been fierce and liberty-loving race.
In time-it may take longer here
than it did in military
service will make the same mark on
US. All nations are pretty much of
the same clay and will act alike, un-
der similar conditions.
Of course, some may reply that we
have here a republican and not
1ynastic form of government: that
we are protected by the fact that the
ultimate political power is in the peo-
pies hands. This is true in theory.
but intelligent people all over the
world have come to realize that popu-
ar political machinery does not, in
fact, mean popular power. The main
power in the world is the economic
power; and it does not rest either in
he hands of the general public, nor
IN the labor group. In spite of popu-
ar government, the moneyed class
IS, with US, still the governing class.
and it is more integrated and aggres-
sive here than in Germany. And the
demand for compulsory
service, which is filling the country
with clamor, comes almost exclusive
ly from this class; and it has a good
deal more class interest in it than
real patriotism.
1t is the same old story. These
men, who are calling for the discipl-
ming of the people through military
service, are thinking more of defense
Of their own investments than of the
country's borders. They are what
Lincoln called "the advocates of the
mud-sill theory" "a Yankee" said
he, "who could invent stronghanded
man without a head, would receive
the everlasting gratitude of the mud
sill advocates" According to that
theory" said Lincoln, "a blind horse
upon treadmill is a perfect illustra-
ton of what laborer should be-all
the better for being blind, that he
could not kick understandingly." The
mud-sill theory is as typical of the
American eXploiter now as it was in
1853, when Lincoln spoke. But to-
day there is better chance of it's
fulfillment Today, the mud-siller
mas definite program, backed by
powerful interests and spread in the
name of patriotism and national Sc
curity.
The National Security League in
forms US that universal military
service is necessary to defend the
nation. This is pure, unadulterated
bunk. With good navy, ample coast
defenses, mines, torpedoes, a stand
ing army of a quarter of a million