Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-06-11
EVENING EDITION.
(By q. s. s~erandvoad.>

~ ~ ~ L A--L@.
Two, weeks ago a. socialistic spell
binder at a meeting in Cincinnati
came in for a veritable cyclone Of ap-
plause when he found occasion to re-
mark:
1--WE should rule the earth. Yo&
and I should rule it-that is. the
masses should. Why? I'LL tell you,
my friends, masses are masses, there
fore thomajority, and, therefore, right;
Ill tell you further that the power Of
combined brains is greater than
power of all that measly gray matter
that rots in the bony skulls Of crook
ed capitalists"
This argument" is. at least,
plain. It is tangible. You can all
most physically feel 1t. And when
you touch it with the tip Of your
finger, it. dissolves into that dust Of
nonsense of which it is a compound.
= The fact that one Of the claims set
forth in. the peroration, Is repeated
with excessive frequency affords no
guarantee that 1t is c~orrect,/for of all
fallacies none has been more effec-
lively exploded than the maxim that
the masses. the majority, are right on
the Cincinnati speakers statement.
Depends on Leadership.
A a matter of fact, masses do not
act, masses take no initiative, blaze
no new trials, do not aso cannot re-
cognize promises nd,therefore,do not
draw conclusions except by instinct.
it. may be said in a general way that
the matter Of Justice and injustice is
one that does not require any high
one Of the primary elements Of hui
man nature.
: This will be conceded by many, but
at the same time experience has am
ply demonstrated that the appltca-
ton of Justice rests on the state of
civilization. Nowadays, everybody is
to a certain civilized-as far as the
minimum requirements of civilization
go-but this ( does not mean that
masses can make any more progress
without leadership than they could in
leader and the movement he heads
derives its characteristic features
from the nature Of his supervision.
That the masses are right because
they are the majority, Is an assertion
which sounds well, and>to some ever
plausible. It always gets applause
as is seen In North Dakota just now
i. when a Townley and his cohorts go
from platform to platform making
Ian oAASopPOAt oo S1oAuA SAo IAA0 11Ad
jority which enacted obnoxious and
dangerous laws, is absolutely and in
co%ntrovertibly right.
LIT sounds we'll, and to some 1t even
sounds nausible. T
But, when one looks beneath the
surface, it is easily seen that facts are
different from what they are claimed
to be. Recently it has become irri-
tatingly easy to see that much of
that majority rule which is consid-
cred a sacred thing is nothing but au-
tocracy not one whit better than that
against which a world has been fight
ing for five years-and longer, for
that matter. IN
THE majority rules" When that
is said, with the requisite oratorical
effects, all is said. Further argu-
rAnntation is cut short. for protest
against such a triumphantly sure az
sertion is almost sacrilege.
1t is the shibboleth Of all destruc-
tive mass movements in the worlds
history; it was the very slogan Of the
Bolshevik propaganda Yin Russia,
Germany and Hungary. 1T was the
war cry of the German people. when
war was declared against Belgium
because she had~resolved to defend
her neutrality. But-the majority is
right-isn't it?e