Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-05-13
Democracy and Aristocracy

TNHE whole difference between the aristo-
cratic and the democratic point of view
is that the former distrusts human ma
ture, fears and despises it, while the latter
trusts it.
The essential democrat is one who believes
that mankind is better than anything it has
done.
L am a democrat (of course use the word
in no American partisan sense) because |
believe that humanity is incurably good and
progressively wise.
Men have always been better than their
institutions. 1t was the natural goodness of
the human heart that abolished the cruel
and revolving doctrines of the theology of a
former day. The people were better than
the church.
All the frauds and tyrannies of monarchs
and mobiles Of former times were built upon
the theory that the people did not know
what was best for them, and that ruin 6
class was necessary. 1t is true that the peO-
pie were ignorant, but the only way to make
them wise is to put upon them the RESPONSE
bility of self-gOvernment. The people, as a
whole, never began to rise and excel until
the advent of responsible governments.
All the privilege and established injus-
tice in the United States have come about
from those measures taken in timid fear of
the people,
"PoHtics is corrupt" We have always
said that whenever public ownership of any
thing has been proposed. We are rapidly
learning that "big business" or huge wealth
managed by individuals, is not only as cor
rupt as politics but is the very corrupter of
politics.
The arstOcrat is seer of surfaces. He
thinks, it is the policeman on the corner
that holds the street crowd in order. AS a
matter of fact, it is the innate decency and
love of peace in the crowd itself. If that
spirit were not there the policeman would
be swept away as leaf before the storm.
He thinks it is kings and presidents that
rule countries. In reality countries rule
themselves, and throne holders are but
counters in the game.
He thinks it is legislatures d parlia-
ments that make laws. But the truth is that
laws the secretion of the body polite;
they are but lame expressions of national
convictions and customs. The basic law is
the common law, which is no more nor less
than the codifed habits of the nation.
This thing you call humanity is moving
along by it's own steam. Nobody is guiding
it. Nobody is moulding its destiny" Ex
cept it be God, which perhaps is but another
name for the spirit of humanity.
You speak of the ignorance fckleness
and mob madness Of the people. All true
enough. The people have done some deyiish
deeds. But it is doubtful if they ever did
them except under the CALLING Of their an
cient enemy-priYilege
The people, the great human race, grows
by it's sap and force. 1t is like the
Morse tree ygdrasil, whose roots are in the
past, whose fruits hang in the golden future
So long as the world thought Jesus to be
some sort of king they warred and pillaged
and set up privileges and tyrannies.
Now we are beginning to see peace on
earth and try to bring about goodwill to-
ward men; it is because we are discovering
that Jesus was a democrat, the original
truster of the people.
Copyright 1924.)