Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-06-20
Equal Rights to All.

If there is one idea that is more
strongly guarded in America today
than any other, it is the idea Of equal
rights to ell and special privileges to
none, and for this reason, If for no
other, America is safe from Bolshe-
vism.
In Europe, especially in all the coun-
tries of continental Europe, not count
ing Great Britain. Bolshevism is nat
ural development of the systems that
have existed for so many centuries
virtually always
Europe has been a land Of special
privilege, where has been defied the
spirit that impelled the strong to laud
it over the weak, where the strong es-
teemed as the only weakness Of which
it could be guiltily ashamed, was that
weakness which recognized any re-
sponsibility of the strong to the weak
The best possible definition Of Boil
shevism as it is understood and its
Russian exponents are seeking to es-
tablish it at the present time, is the re-
tention Of the age-old spirit and prac-
tice without change except as to the
identity Of the oppressor and oppress-
ed-the policy Of the bottom rail on
top. The lash that the hand Of the
aristocratic nobility sought to lay and
did lay on the back Of the proletariat
-Bolshevism would place and has
placed in the hand Of tho proletariat
for application to the back Of the au-
tocratic nobility.
That is ell there is to it. About it
there is a kind of poetic justice; but
nothing to be commended. 1t is appli-
cation of the old Jewish law of eye for
an eye and a tooth for a tooth-not
the law of God, but the old Jewish
lava law that was never sound and
law that will never be sound. 1t is in
no wise better than the law of the
blood feud, and that it could bring
peace. prosperity, contentment or hap
piness is impossible
England has been a land If privilege
also; but in England there has always
been a spirit of democracy-a spirit
that has feared absolutely nothing up
on earth than to uphold wrong. Don't
let it be understood that England has
never been wrong, or that she is not
doing wrong in many things now. But
the Englishman has always showed a
tendency and inclination to do right.
There have always been people in
England who would fight for the right,
and the upholders of the right have
always prevailed sooner or later.
More victories for democracy have
been won on the soil of England than
on the soil of any other country on
earth, and the fight goes on and on.
1t was the best and highest ideals of
England which, taking root in the soil
of America, in spite Of foes from with
in and foes from withort. have held
their own till now.
To be sure no reasonably well In
formed student of the American idea
would think of claiming anything APP
preaching satisfactory development
Any one can see that socio- economic
conditions are far from perfect. Any
one can see the unequal division Of the
fruits of labor, Intelligence and capital.
Any one can see lingering, even devel-
oping signs of the cloven hoof Of privi-
lege; but still there exists equality Of
opportunity and equality OF enjoyment
to a larger extent than in any other
country on earth.
There is the spirit of exclusive privi-
lege here and there is the spirit of Boil
shevism here. There is the spirit of
selfish disregard of the rights of 9TH
ers here, and there is the spirit Of re-
vengeful hate here. But the dominant
spirit of America is the fair deal for
everybody, and eventually that domi-
nant spirit will prevail throughout ev-
cry nook and corner Of the land.
Bolshevism will never prevail in
America, even Temporarily.