Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-06-26

The address at the University of ver-
mont Commencement day exercises yes
terday was delivered by Liberty H.
Bailey. LID, formerly dean of the Col
lege of Agriculture at Cornell University
His subject was 1.-THE Aspiration to De-
mocracy," and he said. in part.
THE ASPIRATION TO DEMOCRACY
Doctor Bailey called attention to the
vast differences of opinion as to whether
democracy is inevitable. whether we are
attaining to democratic end. and
whether democracy is in harmony with
the teaching of evolution. Most of this
divergence of opinion is due to a mis-
conception as TO what democracy Is
Many of the writer's and debaters seem
to confuse democracy with government
and are thereby led far afield. The first
| responsibility, therefore. is to define
democracy. The idea may best be
clarified by eliminating some of the
popular misconceptions.
Democracy is not the absence of
kings, not anti-monarchy, not tine rule
of the people" not socialism. not nation
alization, not universal suffrage, not even
liberty. independence. equality or
ma jority rule. Democracy is not a form
of government any more than religion is
a form of worship.
The speaker defined these various con-
ceptions and stated their relation to
democracy, in order to clear the way.
The democratic principle lies far beyond
enacted law, forms of government, or
particular kinds OF social cohesion. 1t
| Is state of society. expressing itself in
personal welfare and in the public good.
Government is only one of it's forms of
action. and in some respects its least inn
portant form. Democracy is the ex-
preston of evolution. If evolution is pro-
gressive rather than retrogressive. AS
evolution is irregular in it's progress.
sometimes even backward in parts and
always carrying impediments. SO is
democracy in any one epoch imperfect
and only step in the process. The
essence of democracy is in the aspiration
| to democracy.
Democracy may be liened to man
going uphill. The progress is slow
devious, zigzag and sometimes even
backward. Always the tendency is up
) ward and onward, inevitably leading the
race. The human fruits of democracy
are highly developed indvidualism at
the same time that there is a keen SEN
sitiveness to public service or team work.
| The speaker vigorously combated the
idea that ndivdualism is subjugated in
democracy. and that 1t is less needed
and important in modern times. There
can be no real democracy without vel
developed conscious personality. How
one may make the most of oneself and al
the same time work the most effectively
for ones fellows is the problem for the
next fifty years. In fact, it Is the
problem of the evolution of the race. II
is not necessary that one of these
elements be subjugated in order that the
other may he developed. They reall!
are coordinate. The philosophy that
puts specialization above indvidualism il
erroneous
The motive of democracy is ar
interior force and not an exterior form
of organization The contemporaneous
teaching of evolution emphasizes the
interality of it's forces. 1t is not ever
unscieptiic to speak of the perfectins
principles that lies within the forms OF
life. This does not presume pre-
destinarianism or fataism. The effort
to find the motives or the force OF
evolution as an externally has so fal
failed. The common conception of thu
struggle for existence through natura
selection as the cause of variation and
|
the test of current investigation. TIL,
burden of the effort OF certain biological
evolutionary inquiry is to determine thu
marks and the processes of the perfect
ing principle. The old discussion o
acquired characters" was a contribution
to it. SO also are the newer discussion.
in the great field of heredity. What ma!
be the nature of the physiological o
other forces that were implanted in thu
living structure in the beginning or hav'
been picked up by it in the long pro
cesses of time, we are not able yet L
clarity. For the time being we must b.
content TO know its results. We ar
convinced Of the progressive evolution o
the kingdoms of life. This natural.
, leads toward democracy so far as 1t lead
toward the welfare of the individual ant
also of the association of individuals
that is toward the welfare of the Demos
There is no democratic welfare wthou
individual welfare.
. Tho man going up hill is always in diff
fculty. He has hard places to pass. II
may think himself much burdened, as ii
fact he is. His case may look to him I
, be hopeless but from time to time h
looks back over the landscape and note
that he is higher than when last he stop
ped. we DOUBT the progress when VlSlo
is short but if We take a long RETROSPECT
we are witnesses of the progress never
, the!ess.
So, therefore, should the difficulties no
become discouragements. We are t
meet them, and the more acute GU
rationalzng processes. the more easl
and rapidly should we resolve on
trouble, We are of course to encourag
democratic forms of government as W
encourage all other democratic expires
sions; but we must be aware that tn
only reason for democratic government
is that it Is "A means of education. Neve
r., does any man see the top of his noun
tain.
: PRESENT DAY PROBLEMS
= The speaker mentioned some of tn
. present problems, at the moment in
teresting all of US, expressing thei
democratic and ant-democratic ter
denotes. He declared himself in favor {
the League Of Nations as the best aid /
sight, of the legislation and consent
the lettering of the lahoring man. of III