Norwich bulletin., 1918-03-11
PROMINENT SPEAKERS AT X. .OF [. RALLY
Large Auencea Hears H. A Tirre ard Joseph T. Tanning in Wartime Talks at Meeting Under Auspices of Rev. Daniel Mullen Assembly Speakers Give Clear Picture of the Meaning of the Great Struggle

government .Q1SgulSed 1n moaefn dress, an enemy of all true democracy, without sense of honor. bent only on selfish aims.
 It is idle to discuss the form of Ger man government, or the forms of den- ocratic governments. The real. issue lies between the spirits back of those governments. This war is being wag- ed to save the spirit of democracy from the spirit of autocracy. and these
 spirits lie as far apart "as the East is from the West.
 x It would be possible to show the vast difference between these two
 spirits in almost every phase of civ
 iization, but a few illustra tions will suffice for our purpose. How does
 each one regard human life?
 Democracy holds that every indi- vidual has certain something that be-
 longs to him alone, a certain dignity of
 buman nature that ennobles him De- nocracy likes to see 3 man stand on
 his feet. and Took the whole world in
 the face. Democracy believes that
 ''the rank is but the guinea stamp, the
 the mans the good for a that" and
 what of autocracy?
 What of the government that takes
 such paternal care of it's people? Our
 admiration of that care has dwindled
 somewhat since Ambassador Gerard
 has told us that half the families in
 Berlin are so destitute as to live in
 one room. We have learned that the imperial German government is the most colossal ring of grafters in the
 world, in which the kaiser and his junSers exploit the people for their
 own selfish ends. Human life to them is cannon fodder" and women, their own women, are breeders of "cannon fodder The people are slaves The noblest quality of human life is takeel away.
 Consider the quality of human char acter that we speak of as sports 1 manship,' or fair play" In our coun- try the children from babyhoo1 in- dulge in all sorts of games The rivalry of the contestants seems 10 us some times too intense. But whether it of a sentiment of fair play, it is q most valuable part of the spirit of democra- | cy. The Germans are not fond of I games as children, and as men are not l fond of fair play. Can you imagine i our marines at Vera Cruz protectine themselves by driving children and women between the "snipers'' and 1 themselves?
 l Hit a mans when he's down" is l good autocracy, but not good democra- cy.
 Democracy believes in right We have plenty of wrongs for which te 1 blush But our muck rakers" are 1 careful to appeal to sense of righi | severest critics of ourselves Wher I we boast. we praise our ideals and this l is what will uplift us. Democracy I knows itg own imperfections, but has l g vision of something better Autocra- cy claims to be above all questions o1 1 right or wrong The state" is not subject to moral law. And for this req 1 son the spirit of autocracy is brutal l deadening, destrTctive.
 Democracy is the spirit of hope; au tocracy, of greed.
 We believe in right, and we believe in rights: in equaity of rights and oi opportunities for all. Democracy is not Bolshevism, now I. W. W. ism, nor pacificsrn. The best type of au-
 tocracy is Bisnnark. the man of "Bloot
 and Iron,' proud, uoscurupuols, crue l We place over against him, Lincoln
 the lover of mankind, humble, consci-
 entious. mercaful. The world today i.
 deciding between the two types.
 Democracy does not fear counpari
 son with aiitocracy in the two thing.
 in which Germany has long been con sidered supreme. education, and eff ciency. Il In Germany, to be sure. certain kinds of schools far suFpasS our ow1 in attainTaes1fg Rut into those school
 go only the chosen few. The grea mass of the people have no hope O 1 giving their children this opportunft. of advancement. In America oll
 schools are open to all, from the kind ! ergarten to the university Equalit,
 of opportunity is already the price ] less possession of our people. Efficiency! We have come to dis likf the word. because of its siniste associations.
 Is the German policy of terroisn eff
 ficient, or is it stupid? It may work i
 Germany, but, never iR a free land Every Zeppelin victim is an eloquen |. enlistment agent Surely such poo : judgment as the German sgovernmen
 has displayed in this. as in it's man ], 1 other clumsy attempts to affect tn feelings of civilized peoples should nev
 1 CT be called efficiency And if W, 2 restrict the term to material accom- , plishments, we still see the supreme n acy of democracy.
 Il Germany stole a march on an un 2 1 suspecting world with it's tremendou 1 war preparations. But the great de
 mocracies are now up with German and passing her. in military fitnes 2 The. best artillery now belongs to tf 7 l allies. The great inventions in wa ,. will come amongst the allies, as the have in the times of peace. The aero :. plahe, the submarine, aneline dyes. an Y many other wonderful inventions hay
 been appropriated. but not discnvere = by the Germans. We have had to ( $ in four years what Germany has dor U in forty, but we are going ahead her. because the spirit of democrae is the spirit of hope, of progress. ! ideals, of life. while the spirit of at . tocracy is disheartening, enevating. : Democracy, with an its imported crude in appearance. but of sound ms terlal. Autocracy is complete in al n pearance, highly ornamental with i a proud relics of feudaI days. but e crumbling substance.
 eI Demochacy, with all it's inperfet 's tions is the spirit of vision. We al d still in the making, but like Columbl e of old, we believe in New World ar e will stake our lives to gain it.
 IS And that is why we are in this wa e ready to devote our all to a noble idee |" that government of the people, for u T people, by tlta people, may not peris n from the eahth.s
 Il Speaker Arouses Enthusiasm. al Throughout his address the speak held the close attention of his aud
 ence and frequently as he made son r telling point he was enthusiastical = applauded. In the opinion of mar r of those present it was the cleare q presentation of the meaning of u e spirit of democracy as opposed to u