The Washington herald., 1921-08-14
National Responsibility.

THERE is tendency and always has been in
this nice old, stumbling world of ours to
cxalt men, mere individuals, during events
and after events. This leads to holding whole
tions responsible for the evils the SINS the crimes
committed by an individual or a group, quite
gardless of the power resting in the people to
curb or resist. 1t is true that the ambitions OF
individual have been the cause of most of
the calamitous events in the worlds history. But
il should be evident that the responsibility cannot
be justly spread a whole people, holding them
with exactness to penalty, and injecting
strain of mercy into their portion of accountability.
That the physical and mental weakness of
fathers penalize succeeding generations, does not
warrant the corollary that the evil criminal am
bitions of rulers must damn succeeding generations,
or even the present generation of peoples To
hold to such a responsibility is to demand that
a nation of men must be what they are not; and
to require of people advancement not yet
reached by any in all the world. That they will
suffer their full share for the ambitions of their
rulers, is inevitable but that this should be- and
in justice must be, accentuated, is wholly differ
ent matter.
Moreover when this has been the rule; where
the pound of flesh has been exacted; where ma
tons have been condemned for the sins of rulers
or leaders, the invariable sequence has been a
boomerang. 1t has always bred evil not good; ;
further disaster, not wel-being; war; not peace.
There IS not such thing exact justice with a
whole people and under its cloak many crime
has been done perpetuated. 1t will still be
many centuries before the people of any country
will refuse to follow bellwethers into the ways of
selfish aggrandizement the shirking OF obligations.
the qualification of an ambition which prom
ises a dividend of glory to the nations common
stock. Equal wisdom did not come anywhere
with equal rights nor due portion of conscience
with its freedom
The Herald is a believer in the inherent good
ness OF men, that all have poE+ion of the divine
spark But all history proves with what case that
spark may be dulled, held ineffective, by the
white light OF evil present advantage and the
promise OF an unfair portion The minority of
wisdom does not yet control the majority of
Jolly when the mob instinct is aroused.
The best sign Of this period is the growing
dominance of the good in men, the tanning of the
divine spark to glowing and directing light
This. too. comes from the mass 1t is from where
the many Titles make much. 1t comes from the
direction Of all lasting reforms and advancement
1t IS sort of radio power which is guiding Sc
Iected leaders in their policies in making new
world policy.
This is evidenced in the British-Irish settle
ment; at the present sessions of the supreme
'h0" e'ei 'hlS unseen pressure
Is forcing right decisions; in the acceptances for
the disarmament conference and perhaps most
iuny IN a world combination to save Russi.
Lenin and Trotsky arc to be forgotten What Is
oeSt IN men and there is indeed so much in all
OF u.s. IS responding to appeal which will
make 1t grow by what it feeds upon Bolsbevism
cannot breathe its atmosphere and live. Charity
VIII rule IN Russia in the place of greed; kind,i-
ness will replace the rule of despotsm; helpuIn.ss
succeed repression, and regardless of what be-
comes OF Lenin or Trotsky, Bolshevism will
disappear. Wi"