The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-10-01
Dangerous Shortcuts
N EMOCRACY seems clumsy. 1t is an
| awkward, indirect way to get things

EMOCRACY seems clumsy. 1t is an
awkward, indirect way to get things
done.
The business man lifts his hands in horror
at the idea of running his concern by a vote
of the men employed or by any committee
the only efficient way to do things, he tells
you, is for one man to do them. There must
be head, and one head, to an enterprise if
you want success.
This is truth. The most efficient method
of government is an absolute monarchy. For
accomplishing results quickly and well the
best system is where there is one upQues
toned boss, who does aPt have to consult
anybody.
1t is a dangerous trutlS 1t is so treacher-
Gus in its plausibility Tat it has deceived
the very elect in economics. Carlyle shifted
at democracy; he was all for the strong man,
the hero.
But, here lies the trouble; that we can
not find the human being worthy to be in
trusted with this autocratic power. There
may be such persons, but there is no way of
| telling whether given man is one of them.
We have tried all sorts of methods. He
redity, based on the supposition that if one
were born to power there would be no temp
tation for him to abuse III Placed by birth
in the place of highest privilege he would
find nothing more he could want, and SO
could not be bribed. But heredity won't work
Human nature is too weak. The end in
variably is that the favored man or class, in
stead of feeding the sheep, shears them. They
are content to live in luxury, upborne by the
multitude in poverty.
The church has experimental with autocra-
cy, but has discovered that not even the
eccelesiastic, hedged in by Vows and plighted
to a life of ascepticism, can resist the enor-
nous temptations of ebsoiute power. Per-
haps no government has been more tyrannical
and cruel than government BY the parson in
early New England or by the priest in Eu-
rope.
Even in the family many look with admit
ration upon the old-style domestic tyrant,
the father who gave word and blow and
ruled with rod of iron. "Ah in those days
children were we'll behavedI'
That kind offather has disappeared, simply
because he was intolerables Absolute author
ity will not work, in the family, in the gov
eminent, anywhere.
Because it is a short cut, aiming to do by
artificial means what can be well done only
by natural means.
The object of government is not to get
things done, the object of the family is not
to secure silence and obedience, the object of
business is not to make money.
The object of government is to secure free
uOul anu JUSTICE lot 4Int lnhl
compose it. The state ext Tor the citizen
All he asks of it is to see that he has free
play. This is the Anglo-Saxon idea, as OPP
posed to the ancient theory that the individu-
al exists for the state.
The family is designed to develop the chill
dren, not to make father comfortable.
The object of business is primarily to serve
the general public with honest and needed
goods and to give employment under whole
some conditions to workers. and only sec
ondarily to fatten the owner with huge
profits. ~
Democracy emphasizes the human end of
affairs. Autocracy insists on the mechanical
end.
Democracy aims to develop the people au-
tocracy to exploit them.
Hence democracy is slow because 1t is
principle of growth.
1t is so much easier for teacher to give
the child a sharp command and enforce it
with stick; but it is a vicious short cut
1t is long way round for them that g0F-
ern, to enlighten, explain, and educate, But
it is the only way.
The object of all government is 10 im-
prove the quality of the gexerned IN otner
words, it is to save theapeople. not 70 rule
them.
That is why democracy is wholly true and
all absoluteism only half true, and hence aors
evil than q lie.