The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1919-01-09
DEMOCRACY.

For year or more we have heard
much about world wide democracy and
more about making the world safe for
democracy What the word democracy
means when applied to political party
is we'll known, but when mentioned as a
form of government it is a vague term
which millions interpret TO suit their own
ideas. The Bolsheviki idea of demo-
crazy was very clearly set forth in
proclamation by circulars in New York
city not long ago. The proclamation pro-
posed to "cancel all debts, public and
private, to repeal all statutes, ordinances
and other enactments of capitaistic gov
eminent, to declare vacant all public
offices, and to direct that the military and
naval organizations shall dissolve and re-
organize Immediately upon a democratic
basis" 1t was further proclaimed that
"police or no police, law or no law,
parade would be had on certain day to
celebrate the resurrection of freedom. "
The commonest idea of democracyis that
all property should be equally divided
among the people, lazy and industrious
alike, and that forking out a penny and
peck citing dollar is democracy. The l.
W. W. seems to be in full accord with
both the above but believe that dynamit-
ing factories burning sawmllls, melting
riots and a career of lawlessness will pave
the way to democratic blessedness and
freedom. Socialism and almost every
other ism is openly or covertly in SYM
pathy with these dangerous elements of
the body polite. Doubtless the major
part of our readers believe they are living
under a democracy, but this is not a fact.
1t was not the intention of the founders
of the United States Government that it
should be a democracy. 1t has never
been democracy in the past and it. is
not democracy now. The word demo-
crazy does not appear in the Declaration
of independence, it is not to be found in
the Confederation which held the States
together till the Constitution was ratified,
nor is it to be found anywhere in that
document. The United States is a Re-
public, and has proved itself to be the
best form of government ever devised
by man. Under it we have enjoyed
reasonable freedom, have developed
our resources, have grown stronger
year after year till we are today
mighty nation. Every democracy which
has been established has been weak
and short-lived Twenty five hundred
years ago democracy was founded IN
Greece, on the ruins of an overthrown
despotism. Scion was its builder and his
reputation for wisdom has lived through
the centuries, but his deE- ocracy lived
only thirty years, and was succeeded by
a despotsm no better than The former
had been. Succeeding centuries have
seen the rise of demoCracies and every
one has been a failure. There is not
national democracy in existence at the
present time. Although these facts are
known to every close student of political
history, the Presidents assertion that
america is in the war to make the
world safe for democracy" has been ap-
plauded at home and abroad. Perhaps
conservative, thoughtful men ard women
might be justified in asking why America
should engage in war to make safe
something which does not exist as gov
eminent, something which she does not
herself want, omething which no other
nation wants. Has not the hour struck
when we should conclude our preach
ments to the world, mind our own bust
ness and devote ourselves to the work of
safeguarding our Republic for tie preser-
walton of which we have made such
vast expenditure of blood and treasure
Just now the Republic is menaced by
petty autocracy On one hand and by So
called democracy on the other We
should hold fast to the maintenance of
the government as founded by the faith
ers, and, as best we can, strive to keep
our Republic safe for ourselves and for
unborn millions. We can best serve the
world by making our part of it shining
example of good government.