Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-10-30
THE OUTLOOK
FOR DEMOCRACY
While Fighting Abroad We Must
Not Forget the Foes in Our
Own Household
By s. PARKS CApMAN. D. D..

tofgivable political heresy. We have an
underlying conviction that our form of gov
! ernment is so intrinsically superior, so
wisely conceived and nationally adminis-
tered that It must needs be initiated by
less fortunate peop'es and eventually COM
mard universal allegiance.
Few Western statesmen and publicists
have rightly estimated the hold which me-
dteval ideas have in Europe and the East.
Yet Germany has revealed what to us Is
the surprising spectacle of millions Of men
committed to extreme monarchical doctrine,
and unable or unwilling TO separate its
eNtravagances from their sense Of national
integrity and well-being These opposing
systems have ut last found their culmina-
tiyn in a war which threatens the eXtnc-
tion Of either autocracy or democracy.
The question Of questions is Which will
prevail? Can the Kaiser and his formidable
hosts in the Fatherland, in Austria, in
Turkey. in Bulgaria, be subdued and taught
by defeat that their adored methods are
abhorrent TO the modern mind? We an
swer, yes, simply because the prospect of
victorious Teuton is uncomfortable 1t
would mortgage the liberties Of the world
for generations to come and impose blood
tax upon babes now sleeping in their
cradles
But if the war is to be financed and
fought to triumphant conclusion, the
nations that represent liberty and justice
viii have TO take stock of themselves, re-
adjust and increase their energies con-
centrate their efforts and prepare for new
era when a just peace is guaranteed The
loose and unintelligent ways our American
love Of personal independence has fostered
must be abolished, Onscrupuous dema-
Eogues and blatherskites who would sweep
US OF our base and plunge us Into the vor-
tex Of class hatreds must be suppressed.
Studied appeals to the weakest social ee-
ments, to dleness, greed, ignorance and
roguery must be banned
Wanted, a Leader
Where are these leaders today? And
il it be granted that we possess them at all,
how few in numbers they appear to be.
! Fortunately for u.s. the enemy has no
statesman of first rank; the German chan
cellorshp goes a-begging, German diplo-
macy has become jest. But of most emf
nent men, men who can claim the world
for their monument scarcely one Is in
sight. We have gone on the fond tradition
that revolutionary eras produce these pala-
dns. Yet our own, while prolific in genius
for affairs, left us with the melancholy
memory of a stupid Congress and
traitorous Arnold.
The principles of International equity, of
taxation. representation, property, have
made infinite gains. Yet these gains are
historically linked with a few illustrious
names, and personality, rather than aXioms,
has furthered their advance. Now that they
have descended to the street and the ordi-
nary citizen drifts toward pure, as dis
tlngushed from representative, democracy,
hostile elements have assailed them. and
they may be swallowed up In social diff
ferences animated by a pervadng selfish
ness.
Openly hostile propagandas are abroad.
| Incredible as it may seem, it is neverthe-
| less true that men who have inherited
those gains who are undischarged debtors
to our nation and its institutions, indorse
the vilest tyrannies abroad and eXult over
despicable crimes and outrages in an un-
holy manner, which shows what they are
beneath the skin.
The old Adam dies hard, even in this
uncongenial atmosphere. We discover the
parasite beneath the professed patriot and
that citizens who boast of Washington
have never been within the radius of his
noble and sagacious spirit The witness we
should bear to the ends of the earth In
behalf Of genuine Americanism has been
polluted by aliens in temper and dspo>
siton. So long as they remain obdurate,
so long as commercial and political CHI
Canery runs riot, we shall breed Charlatans
as refuse bIttuS MES be uWdIltu III ld-
tional character and thwarted IN nationaI
aims.
Peril in Our Cities
It is a faithful saying and widely ac-
cepted that the Church has come TO the
parting Of the ways Let me add that the
State is equally at stake and must reaf7rm
and practice the beliefs that made her, or
undergo decline When you wish 10 know
why the Old World which had such ample
means and lasted so long, finally went to
ruin, you have but to study the conflict
in our immediate surroundings. The imper-
sonal forces which have hitherto misruled
mankind are still busy, as II predestned
to ruin the world again.
This great city is naturally one of their
chosen centers. It's municipal offices and
em0luments are a tempting bait, and in the
discussions that eddy around them one can
detect the familiar outlines OF good and
of evil which have always contended for
the mastery. New York, in many respects
is the cosmos reduced TO scale It's foreign
born or bred population exceeds the total
population Of Paris and Berlin. Here we
have the best and the worst and between
them the apathetic, who do not care to be
disturbed and resent the hint that there IS
something rotten IN our makeup. The
fires Of every social political and religious
creed smolder at your doors. Sacrifice
and noble devotion can fan them to n
purifying flame. Dishonorabe syndicates
intent on base interests, can excite them
to a disastrous con1agration.
In an era Of national and universal
distress and trial, which is making proof
Of us and Of our circumstances, municipal
election is being employed to release bitter
passions and the campaign has already
touched the depths of false accusation.
lies, treachery and fraud. II is impossible
to eXaggerate the folly and wickedness of
so futile a procedure, or TO escape from
| the harvest of tares for which the seed is
| now being cast abroad. Surely the historian
Of the war will find scope for surprise
| and irony in the fact that while we were
waglng it the Mayor Of the second city in
| the United States was branded as an ig-
| nominious traitor, and the Mayor of
another great city was indicted as an ac-
cessory to the murder Of an officer of the
| law.
| ROTH SIDES MEET IN REpNrE