Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-11-04
DYNAS7IEs AND DEMOcRAclEs

Turgentev, whose centenary the other day was r.,
nembered by lovers Of Russian literature, once said that
II the soul of a nation is to live. it must pass dnscathed
through the whitening IRE Of war and rebellion. and that
the complete absence Of such upheavals often would re-
suit in a general stasnation or in the ultimate extincten
Of national consciousness.
In a narrower sense, this holds true Of dynasties. and
the tests being applied just now seen, to indicate pretty
clearly that the Darwinian theory Of the SURVIVAL Of the
Attest is valid not only in biology. but In the modern his
tory of empires as well. Dynasties have been uprootsd
or are in the process Of being e~xttrpeted while others
remain secure in the face of the. worlds greatest catas.
trophies. and there are only few thinking people who now-
adaya regret to see weak and degenerate imperial or
Of their respective countries.
The bacillus Of real democracy was originally identi.
hed in the British colonies which developed into the
American nation OF today. Like a true germ It wandered
All over the world, and in 1879 it attacked the French
people 80 tenaciously that the effects are today more Wis
IDLE than ever before. The germ was. even inoculated ln
the. veins Of emperors. kings and princes, and several Of
them reacted in such a way as to assume a much more
democratic attitude than had been their wont. Some o.
the results were very noticeable in Europe in 1s4s.
The germ Of democracy is persis tent-in fact, it IT,
immortal. and so in due course of time the bacillus waa
working it, way through . number of countriea.' BY the
time the world var broke out the original bacillus
amsricanus$ had multiplied to such an extent that no
country was immune from infection. and the disease -.
came exceedingly virulent in Russia where an entire
dynasty more or less literally died Of it.
From Saturdays accounts it appears that the cpl
demic OF democracy has reached Bulgaria with the re-
suit that a scion OF the royal house. Prince Boris. elevated
to kinsship but a month ago. has tunablad down from his
insecure throne and that q peasants government has
been established.
Historical bacteriolosists who specialize in analysing
Austria is in the throes Of the epidemic and that it will
be but a matter Of brief time, before the dynasty in
vienpa. succumbs-if it hs not already suceumbed. One
mead not even be a specialist in this particular science to
see that ultimate death will become the result, for this
dynasty has always suffered from a lack of virile
strength. of vitality and stamina.
The appearance Of the germ of democracy in Ger
many IL dramatic as we'll ~ pathetic. Here. ct least,
was a strong. dynasty-an emperor and six soldier sons
who have unninehingiy refused to die In the war. They
now seem to be irreparably suffering from the disease
1t runs is course along the laws known. viii cause the
downfall Of the Hohenzollern dynasty.
At this time it is q pleasure to recall that although
different varieties of the germ have been Identified. the
particular species which IL at work now Is the ono which
is known to the world by its original name, that Of bacil-
LUIS americana It's work, begun under supreme dtm-
culties, will b .crowned by the supreme suees.. ~ Ar.l
triumph