The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1920-08-25
As Enemies OF Demo-
cracy In An Address
Today To
AMERICAN BAR
ASSOCIATION
Annual Convention Be-
ing Held In City Of
st. Louis.
Associated Press


ST, LOUIS, Aug. 25-The Bolshe-
wiki we're pictured as enemies Of de-
mocracy of Lincoln's ideal of gov
eminent of the people, by the peo-
pe in an address by Sir Auckland
Geddes, delivered before the Ameri-
can Bar Associations annual conven-
ton here today. The British Ambas-
sador declared that the bolsheviki
were the real reactionarier endeav-
oring to establish a privileged class
called the proletariat; to force on So
ciety a great idea, regardless Of
whether society wanted it.
Sir Auckland declared that Great
Britain and the United States "are
co-trustees for humanity that the the
ory and practice of democracy shall
not suffer distortion or dimunition
in spite of avalanches of assault
loosed upon it by its enemies" He
said that democracy should be pro-
tected from the attacks by "all who
desire to benefit humanity through
some great idea of incalculable good,
by all who as individuals seek for
themselves privileges over their fell
lows and deny the equality Of men
before the law"
Sir Auckland defined the idea of
government that constitutes the pre-
cious heritage for which the two ma
tons are co-trustees as being: First,
that the revelation of the divine will
is made to man through the under
standing of all men; second, that this
can be expressed in laws made by the
people for the governance of the ex-
ecutive officers whom they appoint
as we'll as for the maintenance of ma
tionaI discipline among themselves"
Sir Auckland said that Lincoln
best epitomized the best form OF gov
ernment the human race had been
able to devise as "by the people, for
the people," but, he added, " / won
der how many realize what a tre-
mendous revolution this relatively
new idea is producing in all human
relationships, or even how new the
idea itself is and how little it has
been tested. Only trifling minori-
BY of the peoples of the world under
stand it. / doubt if even Europe
there is a majority which supports
it, certainly there is not a majority
which understands it. | would like
to be convinced that there was ma
jority really understandingly IN taV-
or of it in the British Isles.
"If the idea is to continue without
a serious setback, we people who be-
lieve in it will have to stand firmly
together for there are powerful for
ces opposed to it. So far as we know,
the millions of Asia have opposed
the idea throughout all their history
although small number Of Aslatlcs
are now loud in its support. lslap
necessarily is opposed to 1t. The Boil
Bheviki are naturally violently oppos-
ed to it. So too is everyone who mas
what he regards as big idea or
great principle Of incalculable good
which he or she wishes to force upon
the people whether they wish it or
no.
"Theocracy and autoeracy, forcetul
application Of the big idea, inevitably
lead to inequality before the law and
so to tyranny, revolution and chaos
or to decadence, conquest and chaos
That way lies no hope. Let the pol
sheviki and their supporters IN all
lands prate as they will OF reaction
aries and imperialists. They them
selves are the reactionaries. Ihelr
admitted doctrine is to estapllsh
privileged class which they call the
proletariat but they mean by tna'
term a select body of their own sup,
porters, Their whole creed is to Tor
ee on society a great idea which mas
been revealed to them and to theh
alone, and, like it or dislike 1t, SO.
ciety is to swallow it whole-anc
that Is nothing but pure theocracS
4We have to maintain the herltag'
Of freedom against assault IRON
within and without, the priceies'
heritage of great idea now IN dah
ger from its popularity, Even III
enemies try to conceal their actions
behind its phrases.
whatever difficulties might aris'
between our nations, believe noun
ing Is more important than tins, una
you and we stand together to de1eh'
the hard won hope Of mankind ina
through law made by the people 10
their own disciplining, man wiii q
last escape from the tolls that nav
shared the feet Of his ancestors an