The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-10-31
A CONFLICT PRINCIPLE.

Tulsa World: The reason the present
world conflict is so bitter, and the CHIEF
reason why peace cannot be restored
upon any form OF compromise, Is that
IL Is the climax of an age.old conflict
between antagonistic principles. The
gist of the issue is whether human be-
ings are of right and ability entitled to
devise their own form OF government
and select their rulers, or whether they
are so ignorant and unreliable that they
should have their governmental forms
and regning personnel provided Tor
them by superior race of human be-
ings II is whether the people of a GER
tain nation or race shall choose for
themselves how they shall be ruled and
by whom, or whether some man who de
scends from family claiming divine
right to rule snail 81 on throne ana
be master of their minds and bodies. II
may be said that the English govern
ment is a compromise between these
two. but such is not the case. The king
is but a figurehead. the relic OF the time
when kings did rule, but now his pow
er is nominal. The English people con-
troll their own government as thorough
ly, if not more so, than any republic on
earth. They are the only ones who
have been willing TO preserve the forms
of monarchy while practicing an ad'
vanced form Of democracy. And. as
these principles are irreconciliable, the
| conflict between them must finally be
settled only uy the absolute triumph oi
one or the other Aside from all con
tributing causes. that is why we are in
| the war TO make the world safe for de
| mocracy, and that is why every sugges
| ton tending TO compromise the issue OF
defeat final settlement is suggestion
against the good and welfare OF the
world.
The Fundamental principle OF auto
cracy is that the state is supreme anc
that no man owes an obligation tha'
can be permitted in any way TO inter
fere with his duty to the state. More
| than that, IL maintains that the inter
ests of the state must he subserved ever
at the sacrifice of right and justice
holding that the ruling powers are th'
| last Judges Of what is right and just
The theory Of a democracy is that th'
individual is the first consideration o
the state. Ine lnulNluui oNeS " "SD
of loyalty to the state, not because 1
is the center of power, but because
is a power and anarchy means the ces
sation OF law and order and the unre
strained rule of physical force. In
monarchy. the individual derives all hi
rights and privileges from the consen
OF the state while in democracy tn
state derives its powers from the con
sent of the governed. As to which
these forms shall dominate the world 1
the chief issue now in Europe. and NJ
on the decision Of that issue hangs tn
fate of the whole world. II monarch
is triumphant there, it aims to spreai
its reign to the uttermost parts OF tn
earth. and undoubtedly will do so.
1t Is decisively checked there. there
little probability that il will be able an
more TO constitute a world menace. Blu
Il must be thorougnly subdued. and
possible wiped out IL Its wings ar
only clipped for the present and ye
allowed to live. in time thoie wings wi
row again and begin anew to ovel
shadow the earth. That Is why tn