The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-04-20
OBLIGATIONS OF
DEMOCRACY PLAIN
Educational System and Common P"-
lo$ophy : Istificd I'm Present
Emergency.

I After contrasting the principles OF
democratic nation Ike ours. founasu
on a government for and BY the peo-
pie, with an autocrncy, the @eitceh'-
cred and monopolistIc rule, DR. Ar
drew Cunningham Mclaughlin, Of the
University Of Chicago, nrEe0 last
night that America carry out the
ethics and obligations of democracy, az
outlined by President Woodrow VIII
son, whom he considers as our great
est idealistic statesman.
This was the final lecture given by
Or Mclaughlin of the James llthma*'
Jr., foundation series under the aus
piCcs Of Richmond college, at the JET
ferson auditorium, Dr. T. w Boat
wright. president OF the college, IN
trcr,d eed the speaker. w has been
heard here by large audiences
"Our educa tional system and dem
ocratic philosophy was justified in the
present emergency said pr Nc
I.nuehi'n. There had been much crit
lctsm about he colleges and schools
not being practical and other varied
complaints he declared, but the ca
pacity Of coll egc men for leadership
II the great war amazed the world,
The success Of these young men, Lead
Ius unQkillcd troops on an ur fam liar
terrain in he face of almost unsur-
mountabio difficulties was one OF the
soul stirring facts of the war
pr Mclaughlin first outlined the
principles Of autocracy, against
which we fought ard conquered
Th. prime duty OF an autocra., he
explained. is 10 bend All to his vii.
Autucracy requires unsvrrv.ng aud
blind obedience THIS accounted, in q
large measure for the success OF the
German hordcs, who generally fol-
lowed their leaders without question.
hut when these were Shot down, they
broke ui into a disorEanizcA rahhle.
AloofneSs WIS given another re-
ouisitc of q successful autocrat. Any
recognition 10y him for h 'pfni suf
eestiogs by others lessons the support
# his pinnacle A sens" Of superior
jt,. cruelty and deceit were cited
as other tricks Of the trade.
We saw Germany as ar armed, at
tocra;ic nation. he said breaking al
international law. Although every
individual was not included in his m
6irtmeut Of The German nation. he
said that Prussia, az an organized ma
ton. practiced aUtocracy as phil
osophv. being self-willed self.de-
termincd and caring for nothing out
its own gain.
iu "a feH words b. pointed OUT tHat
The trouble of Germany was it's '&n-
grained determination not TO permit a
free meeting of mind between people
and people"
EIucaton. he said. was the foun-
dalton rock on which democracy
rested. Autocraey may have it, but
IL can get along without f.. He re-
called how il spite of the attitude of
, The early settlers TO look with ids
favor on anything that did not teach
Z bnN a rho al T. o.
in winning the wilderness. one OF the
tlrst things they did was 30 start
building schools and colleges for
their children. They realized that in
order To sustain the Democratic form
Of government. education MAS nccs5-
SarE.
In answer 10 the criticism thai de-
snoecraey WIS wasteful. he said this
form OF s0vSrnmcnt might not be
Mechanically peffect, like Germany 5
was said To be, but it laugh. the peo-
pI" TO think. which was The requisite
OF successful republic. In the au-
tocraey tbs people were taught not TO
think st-.
Dc Mc1.1u2hlin warned against any
tendency in this country TO approach
The old German SYSTEM of InilitariSm
"Wc may need more obedience and
order her he declared but we
mustn't lose sight OF our democratic
: principles"
Some persons may lament the fact
that WE wore too slow in making up
our minds to 20 TO war, he sad hut
10 mis- mind the slow and calm de-
liberation Of 100 900 900 people MAX
inr ID their minds what to do was a
wonderful thing.
The readiness with which lives
WDre offered in the great struggle he
said. for unbidden duties, gave us an
assurance that future empires would
be built for freedom.