Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-20

democracy failure? Is it going TO De re-
tanned much it is in the years to come
or is it to be changed almost out OF recog
milton. cast aside as II hopelessy pao
method in human affairs?
Democracy is word with fenlafkao'c
variety of meanings Here / ana using II IN
it's commonest current sanse to express gov
eminent by legislators ard administrators "p
pointed by popular vot. government oaseu
on the assumption that ultimately the pcopie
is sovereign It involves denial of all heredi-
tary or class or professional claims to power
and privilege except In so far as the sovereign
people consents and permits. Even KING ~
understood to be king by popular consent ana
not by any right divine. Democracys cere-
monial its feast. it's great function, Is the
election. Thereby power is assigned and pub
lie issues understood to be decided
Unless democracy is thus defined its mean
ing will flap away into the widest contradlc-
tons Leaving out of consideration the very
special and definite meaning 1t had in the
ancient world it has carried a hundred DIFF
ferent sets OF implications since the mighty
shock of the first French Revolution brought
it into free and frequent use. 1t has stood
for human equality against every form or
privilege and control and 1t has stood for the
right of the individual to realize himself to
the full against every form of restrictive
assumption 1t has stood, therefore for the
extremist socialism and the extremist ind
vdualism.
And 1t has stood with an equal facility for
limitless progress ard for a reaction to a
peasant life, just as its lberating or its
equalItarian side brought uppermost.
Europe has social democracy Christian
democracy, even democratic monarchy shak"
ing hands with every and showing baby
to all the world All these paradoxical variants
and interpretations I put aside here and /
will not reflect for moment upon the Demo
cratic party In the United States. Here am
fnu GfY11pj In W
eminent and the control of affairs In general
by persons elected a broad universal
franchise.
That sort OF democracy is traceable. latent
overlaid in most parts of Europe through
out history. Switzerland is old story. and
democracy muttered close to the surface in
mountaineering England and Scotland,
but it only with the American and French
Revolutions of the late eighteenth century
that it became widely prevalent and respected.
1t was the creed of nineteenth-century liberal
ism everywhere. Throughout that age the
great mother of parliaments at Westminster
bred for expectation, like an Ostend rabbit and
legislatures and responsible cabinets sprang
up all round the globe from Japan to Brazil
Franchise spread like epidemic and has now
spread until the nuns in the converts of Eng
land and the ladies in Turkish harems are
voting. The colored vote In South Africa has
become very grave question indeed.
No doubt this comprehensive characterization
OF mankind has had many beneficial conse.
quences: 1t has forced the most inattentive
to a. temporary attention to the worlds affairs
and 1t has been the symbol Of new self.
respect for women and other enfranchised
classes and for many subject races. But today
the question whether it Is really a perma-
nently good way of doing our collective bust
ness is being more and more insistentIy pressed
upon us. Is the world going on that way or
is it seeking for fresh and more satisfactory
paths for its development? Or, to put 1t con.
cretely will general elections and municipal
elections or any sort of popular elections be of
more than the slightest importance in the
affairs Of AID. 2O27?
There exists great variety OF indictments