Mexico Missouri message., 1918-05-30
Greed Grossly in Evidencs in the
Inception Of Each Great
q Conflict.
THRIFT THE way TO WEALTH
Fading Of DynastIe illusions VIII Clear
Path for Solution Of Further Eco
nomlo acknowledgements
Must Bind Nations.
BY DAVID STARR JORDAN.
GFrom the Committee on Public u

dFrom the Committee on Public In
formation, Washington, D. c.l
Through the ages it has been said
A'the people have been nothing; they
should be everything" This phrase
of Barbusse may well be a watchword
of democracy. The modern world, to
borrow Lincoln's word, cannot en-
dure half slave, half Free" its gov
eminent half "of the people, by the
people, for the people" and half at
the will Of irresponsible oligarchies,
parasitic on the "divine right of
kings" AS Kant long ago pointed out,
"the civil government Of every state
must be republican"
1t matters little what are the short
comlngs Of republics. We may admit
q degree of truth in every accusation.
But such faults are those of collective
humanity above which no government
ever rose. A democracy must learn
by experience. Blunt and direct In
frictionless. II a government were
perfect it might be superfluous.
War Is not function of democracy.
People at large do not call for war.
Those in any nation who clamor for
war for wars sake are the "popu-
Gace," who have nothing to lose, and
the "war castes," who have some
thing to gain. These war castles are
three in number-the aristocratic, the
plutocratic, and the military. The
arlstocratic caste springs from the
dynastic stem with no roots in the
soil of today. The military is an out
growth from the dynastic stock, hav-
tng become its Fright arm" oven as
the state church is the left. The plu-
tocratic caste, often personifed as
Capitalism" is an offshoot of democ-
racy, grated on the dynastic stem.
Every nation in wartime nourishes' its
band of prof1teers. Once established,
they do their worst to bring on war
and to continue the conflagratiOn once
1t is started.
Placing the Blame.
At the door of plutocracy or cap
atalism" the blame for most modern
wars has been laid. But the real cul-
Tprits are higher up. 1t is true that
greed has been grossly present in the
inception of each war, and on botf
sides, but it has rarely, If ever, been
the original motive force. The dynas
tic machinery plutocracy has utilized
because it stood ready at its hand.
It is true that national ambitions
with the economic limitations anC
distractions by which nations arr
hemmed in, become powerful incen
tives to discord. 1t is equally true
that personal ambition and economic
embarrassment often furnish impel
ding incentives to burglary. But there
exists no logical reason why nationa
discomfort should ripen into war o
individual unrest into robbery. TIL
remedy in either case, If remedy Their
BE, must be sought within the bound
of law and order. Reciprocity is tn
natural cure for national economi
dis The resort to arms for economi
reasons has its origin In tradition an
its availability lies in the fact that tn
instruments of dynastic militarism ar
everywhere within grasp.
But 'big business" has no natura
love for war nor for war makers.
uses them for prospective gain, bu
even then with misgivings. Isaa
Seligman once said: "War destroy
property; bankers do not look wit
favor on destruction of wealth
Capitalism" as it is called, is NJ
the taproot of evil. It's alliance wit
mllItarlsm persists only so long as al
-tocracy keeps militarism alive, as 4
chief bulwark.
Passing Of DynastIc Regime.
It is fairly clear that the passing
the dynastic regime will carry, in du
time, militarism with it, leaving d
nocracy free to settle accounts vii
plutocracy. But "money power"
in reality, a product OF democrac
Its leaders rise from the mass by the
own exertion. Wealth is accumulate
and latent power. Those who gain
fairly should, be entitled to Its use,
ways not prejudiced to society. d
mocracy encourages thrift, and thri
opens the avenues to wealth. II
problem is to safeguard holdings Will
at Ine SdLne llihC W PAS'Shb tAiO hVi
ers from overreaching and interfe
ence with the rights Of others. TIL
problem in the hands Of free poop
Is not insoluble. The fading Of
nastic illusions will clear the way (
the solution of the further econom
problems of wealth, poverty. incol
petence and unemployment.
Wealth and poverty are inevitah
I'm a degree, and permanent. There
no final panacea for the Ills Of eith'
Weakness is as menaclng as strengt
But problems of wealth and power
alike may be solved through mutt
aid and applied intelligence.
II is not the purpose to discuss {
application of international principl
80 tha intarna1 nrOblems OF the sta