The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-05-12
NOT DOLLAR
W0RSHIPERS
Wilson Enters Strong Dis
CIaimer of Popular Charge
Against Americans.
LIBERTY THEIR IDEAL
President Says 1t Has Been
His Joy to Speak the
Thoughts of Nation.

ParlS, May I2.-PreSluenI WuSous
in his address Saturday to the French
academy of Moral and Political
Science, entered a strong disclaimer
of the idea that the American people
were largely materialists or dollar
worshippers.
Il have had in recent months one
very deep sense of privilege" the
president said. Il have been keenly
aware that there have been times
when the people of Europe have not
understood the people of the United
States. We have been too often sup
posed to have been devoted chiefly
if not entirely to material enterprises.
We have been supposed, in the COM
mon phrase, to worship the almighty
dollar.
1--WE have accumulated wealth, sir,
we have devoted ourselves TO material
enterprises with extradorniary sue
cess but there has underlain all OF
that all the time, common sense
of humanity, and a common sympathy
with the high principles or justice
which has never grown dim in the
field even of enterprise; and IT mas
been my very great joy In these re-
cent months to interpret the people
of the United States to the people OF
the world.
Spoke Only for People.
II have not done more, sir. have
not uttered in my public capacity my
own private thoughts. have uttered
what have known to be the though's
of the great people whom represent,
| have uttered the things tnat nave
been stored up in their hearts ana
purpose from the time or our birth
as a nation"
It was at this point that the presl-
dent made his declaration That the
American people who came into the
world consecrated to liberty were
ready to cast in their lot in common
with the lot of those whose nperty
is threatened whenever the cause OF
libertt was seen to be imported.
This is the spirit of the people OF
the United states" he contintfeti,
"and they have been privileged to
send 2.O0O,O 900 men over here to tell
you so.
TT has been the great privilege,
not merely to tell you so in words
but to tell you so in men and ma
terial, the pouring out of their wealth
and the offering of their blood
President Wilson alluded to his
studies in the field of political science
and of the attempts he ha made ito
put into the words of learning the
thought of a nation, the attitude of
people toward public affairs" He
continued;
Awkward as the Phrase.
"a great many of my colleagues in
American university life got their
training, even in political science, as
so many men in civil circles did, in
German universities. | have been
obliged at various times to read a
great deal of bad German, difficult
German awkward German. and |
have been aware that the thought
was as awkward as the phrase, that
the thought was rooted in a funda-
mental misconception of the state and
OF the political life Of peoples And
it has been a portion Of my effort to
disengage the, thought of American
university teachers from the mis-
guided instruction which they had
received on this side of the sea. Their
American spirit anticipated most Of
them, as a matter of course, but the
form of the thought sometimes mis-
led them. They speak too often Of
the state as a thing which would
ignore the individual as thing which
was privileged to dominate the for
tune of men by a sort of imprint and
sacred authority.
"Now, as an utter democrat, | have
never been able to accept that view
of the state. My view Of the state is
that it must stop and listen to what
7 have TO saw no matter how humble
/ am, and that each man has the
right to have his voice heard and his
counsel needed, insofar as it is worthy
Of him.
'I have always been among those
who believe that the greatest free
dom of speech was the greatest
safety, BECAUSE if man is fool the
best thing to do is to encourage him
to advertise the fact by speaking.
1t cannot be so easily discovered if
you allow him to remain silent and
look wise, but if you let him speak |
the secret is out and the world knows
he is d fool
BY Exposure Of Folly.
80 it is by the exposure of folly
that it is defeated: not by the seclu-
sion of folly. and in this free air cE
free speech men get into that sort of
communication with one another |
which constitutes the basis of all |
common achievement.
France, through many vicissitudes |
and through many bitter experiences |
found the way to this sort Of freedom |
and now she stands at the front of |
the world as the representative of |
constitutional liberty"