The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-05-09
MEN, WOMEN
 AND THINGS
Democracy.

put oeHocfacy Tn the broad sense Is now world question. Some one has said that President Wilson will be remembered as phrase-maker.
 Well, what of it? Phrase-makers bava turned the current of history into new channels.
 Not long ago, the President declared, in his message to Congress. that The world must be made safe for democracy"
 What an Illuminating statement. How it clarifies and condenses the issues, moral financial, commercial, political that enter into the great war
 
 When anyone asks you why America entered the war, just quote our patient Presidents phrase, The world must be made safe for democracy
 
 This country Is at war with Germany and her allies to safeguard democracy and to overthrow autocracy. Keep this main issue clear and don't let anyone befog you with side issues.
 America is pledged to democracy. It's her mission to give 1t to the world It must fight against autocraey or be untrue to it's highest ideals
 This land of ours stands for freedom. It makes self government for a free peo- pie fact and not a theory. Our fore fathers shed their blood to make 1t pos sible and it's up to us to see that free- dom does not perish from off the face of the earth.
 Only by the complete overthrow of Ger man autocracy can Europe be made safe for democracy The constant menace of a gigantic military autocracy not only threatens Europe, but the whole world
 This is why we welcome to our shores an English statesman like Balfour and a French general like Joffre when they come asking our help to destroy the power of Prussian autocracy.
 
 I'm glad President Wilson waited until Russia was free of the Romanoff dnasty before he entered into the war. It makes all the difference in the world To use a Chinese expression, Cit saves our face" I'm glad America is giving whole hearted and ungrudsing aid to our Eu- ropean allies, for they have been fight ing our battles and helping to safeguard our democracy. Now that we have de- clared war on kaiserism, it's the duty of every American citizen to stand by the government in it's efforts to attain goal which is dear to the hearts of every free and freedom loving people
 A friend of mine writes:
 'If democracy is right and worth de- lending we have nothing left US but to fight. If freedom is worth fighting for now must we fight. Not, indeed, to at tain it, but to maintain it. The word of autocracy and absolutism is given, it's, orders are sent forth; we can do no other than surrender freedom or take up arms. President Wilson's address to Congress April 2, the greatest American state pa- Der, has gone like shot to the heart of the issue.
 
 "Yes, we have tried our best to keep out. America's slow wrath has kindled very tardily. No property loss, no punctilios or inflamed honor, not even murderous attacks on our citizens, when they were capable of being understood as incidental, cerned The sullen glow of the wrath Of mild people is becoming volcanic at the challenge of freedom by absolutlsm. A hundred million hearts are beginning to flame Ten millions of the best fight ing men on earth are stirring and reach ing for their arms. With blanched lips, perplexed eyes and tears on it's cheeks democracy rises at last in mighty wrath and may God have mercy on the crimi- nals who forced us to fight
 As to the wars end he says:
 Tt may be year--it may be three, or maybe 30 years-what matter? How has the death knen of absolutism been sounded. Never again can there be peace in the earth while autocracy lives. Its philosophy is force, it's creed is selfish ness, it's method is deception and bluff. it's governmental honor is a tissue of false promises and treaties that are scraps of paper A lasting peace is im- possible on the basis of such government tai ethics, and to patch up temporary peace would be both senseless and inn moral If Germany and Austria would do as Russia has done it would end the war in AS hours. If they do not abandon their periured princes. freedom and democracy must take them down by force that there may be peace and right eousness in the earth. Freedom is the basis of morality. and not only may be but must be defended to the limit. 'I sympathze deeply with some citizens l who came to us from other lands. Many | of them are in a position that is pain ful and perplexing. We have not one harsh word for them. However those who intmigrated to us from other lands did so mainly in quest of freedom. Now that absolutism is pursuing and chal- l lenging freedom to mortal combat our | immigrant citizens, of whatever degree removed, must either stand loyal to this government or brand their immigration with disbonor. This we confidently ex- l pect. America has no quarrel with any peoples, only with mad and irrespon- sible government that has already driven l v,,;llrsrS nf ifS o1pr, r,eor,lo to daoth o,d