The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1919-03-21
When the World is Regenerated


We entered the great world war
according TO the language OF ouI
president, 10 make the world saf'
for democracy" or ITO make de-
mocracy safe in the world. " Now
we are trying to form a League o
Nations, which will be a failure, tC
further safeguard democracy in The
world
What is democracy? II is gov,
eminent by the will Of the people
all the people Then do we want
democracy and is the world ready
for it? II real democracy were t.
undertake to establish itself upon
the seat of power Of The nations Of
the world would it not bring on a
bloodier conflict, il such thing
were possible, than the one we have
just passed through?
When this government entered
the war we were deprived OF almost
every constitutional right and de-
MED well nigh every democratic
principle. Since the cessation Of
hostilities have these things beer
given back to us? Has the espion~
age act been repealed? Has the
embargo that was placed on our
goods been lifted2 Not at all.
The man who criticises the act Of
any public official lays himself LA
bic for q term in the Federal prison.
We are not permitted to sell our
products in the markets OF the world
and thousands Of innocent women
and and children arc starving be-
cause we are not Doesn't it look
more like we were fighting for re
yenge than for the establishment of
democracy.
One Of the strong points in Mr..
Wilson's peace note that he sent to
oil the beligercnt nations before we
entered the war was the Self deter
mination of all peoples" or the
free development Of all nations.
Are we trying to carry out that
principle in our plans for n League
If Nations? Is it not rather that a
few Of the strong nations are en-
deavoring to gain, and get them
selves fixed to maintain, CONNER
cial supremacy for all time to come?
France doesn't want Germany to
have our cotton because Germany
is ready to begin manufacturing it
Immediately and she is not. Will
our delegates to the conference sub
NIT to such an unjust propositions
unjust not only to Germany who
needs our cotton that she may start
her wheels OF industry and save her
people from starvation but unjust
TO the producers Of cotton by deny
ing them the right to sell their pro-
duct in the markets of the world to
save them from bankruptcy which
will result if they are deprived Of
the competition of an open world
market.
The League of Nations will fail
for the simple reason that the ends
sought IRE visionary. or at least a
long way in the future. Before the
world can be democratized it will
have to be educated. II the Pro
PIE are to govern themselves,
which is democracy, and II they are
to govern themselves intelligently
then it is necessary, OF course, that
they should be intelligent.
The peoples of the world have
not the intellectual ability and NOR
al stamina to govern themselves
without some restraints. Russian
democracy has failed because of the
illiteracy and lack of moral stamsna
Of the Russian people. Democracy
will not and canpot succeed in illit-
eracy and immortality.
There is no country in the world
today whose moral standard is high
or than our own beloved America,
yet no one who has studied political
economy would contend that unre-
stricted democracy would go far ev-
en- in this country without going
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