Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-12-13
THE WAY or DEATH no NATIONS

THE WAY OF DEATH TO NATIONS
"a mUSSOLINI, the Italian dictator, who
NE rules with a resOlute hand both the
ANA king and the people of Italy, is re-
ported to have said recently, Il get many
letters and petitions from people in Italy.
They ask for 1ridges, roads and subsidies,
but never for liberty"
This is a sad statement if indeed it may
not be called an alarming one. 1t reveals a
deterioration of moral life of the most dis
tressing character. nation is dying when
it ceases to care for liberty, and is enamoured
of mere things.
War is always demoralizing, and often its
after-effects are more demoralizing and dan
gerous to the moral life of a people than
were the immediate results of the armed
conflict.
Military rule suspends the laws Of civil
government and restricts the sphere of the
freedom of individuals. At first it is calling
to men, but eventually it becomes something
more than tOIerable. They endure it, and
then begin to enjoy it. To those III authority
over them they look for both rule and rations.
Thus they become accustomed to look to their
rulers for everything, and in process Of time
they become no more than parts Of huge
piece of deadly machinery.
pCeIOO
come. these habits of submission are carried
pack by many, if not most, of them into civil
ife They have lost their sensitive regard
for their own rights and for the rights OF
others Government has attained sort OF
deificatiOn of power in their minds, and from
it they seek all they desire and on 1t they
depend for whatever they wish. 1t is every
thing to them, and the individual IS reduced
t6&next to nothing He exists for the govern
ment. and not the government for him. OF
course. in such state of mind the returned
soldier wants a strong government, Thus wars
make way for dict2tOrs and tyrantS WIN
paternalism as their method of ruling
Following wars there are inevitable desola-
tons During the continuance OF SUCH con-
flicts the most productive classes are drawn
away from productive industry into destruc-
five efforts. At the same time the accumu-
lated fruits of human energy are consumed
and so poverty and restitution pass over the
land with swift advance.
When the conflict is over the work OIL
restoration is exceedingly Onerous, and the
strength of the bearers of the burden Oh
restoration is greatly impaired.
In such case the need of material things
buI15s large in the eyes of the people, and
the nObler things of life seem so visionary
and unavoidable that they fall out OF pop
Mar consideration. 1t is then bridges,
roads and bonuses are desired above liberty
and all the precious things WnlCn ndh0
earthly life charming and desirable. With
out physical satsfactiOns life seems to the
DEGRADED people not worth living This
Ls9ems to be the state Of things in Italy, II
Mussolini's words may be trusted.
The people who make up the congested
population of urban centers especially fall
easy victims to this debasing materialism,
and begin to cry to their paternalisuc mas
ters for dread and games.''
From these urban centers the evil con
tagion spreads rapidly to the rural districts,
and at length the entire population clam
ors for a servile paternalism which is ac-
ceDted as the best form of government.
Liberty is drowned in the public trough filled
with swiIl from the public treasury. Then
the patPrnaIistc lords over the subseryient
population devise ingenious schemes of tax
alton in order to get subsidies with which
to bride the people with funds skillfully
extracted from their own pockets. The in
iquitOus process finally runs to revolution
and ruin. So it did in ancient Rome, and
so it is doing in modern Rome, and in the
larger part Of the Continent of Europe.
Commenting upon the statement made
by NussOIini, the Times-Picayune, of New
Orleans points out most clearly and cOgent-
y the course Of such foul currents. The
editor says:
ut was said long ago that a benevolent
and intelligent despOtism is the best gov
eminent in the world, in practical benefits
to people, UnhappiIy it is universal eX-
perienCe that despotism becomes drunk with
power, loses intelligence and thereafter