Evening star., 1927-04-12

What the American people think of
democracy and its hopes doesn't seem
to have been affected by II. G.. Wells
recent Indictment. The British author,
who suggests that "a profoundly serf-
Gus minority is better fitted to rule
than the ma jority," is not taken alto
gether seriously over here, as Is indi-
Gated by the Portsmouth Stars refer
ence to him as one who occasionally
writes stories as If he were a man Of
science and history as IL he were a
fairytale expert"
What Bernard Shaw said of Chris
tianity can be said of democracy-~it
never has been tried" affirms the
Kansas City Star, which more specifi-
cally contends: Democracy can have
chance nowhere unless education is
widely diffused. It's failures in Amer
lea and England, where 1t has worked
the best. are directly traceable to the
inadequacy Of popular education.
Majorities ought to be able to acquire
as much profundity as minorities, once
they go after 1t, which is merely to
say that indicting democracy is the
wrong process"
"One can only approach perfection"
suggests the Los Angeles Times, "and
the best way to accelerate that ap-
proach in a democracy is not by revo-
luton or radicalism. but by the recog-
milton by each of his responsibility to
the whole. Education fits him for
that The difference in conditions pre-
vailing in Russia or China and the
United States Is represented by the
difference in the illiteracy percentages.
The reason America represents the
nearest approach to the democratic
ideal is because Americans are tndi-
vidually more progressive, because the
standard Of popular education here is
higher, simply because here the aver
age thought process is on higher
plane"
AS means of improving the
democracy that exists. the Providence
Journal upholds the ideals of sacrifice
and loyalty. I'VE do not send our best
men, as a rule" says that paper, Ito
serve us in political ways. If thev
consent to do so, it is often as recog-
nized sacrifice of their private inter
ests. But this sacrifice must become
a part of the citizens code Of loyalty.
Correlated with this must be, on the
part of the public, both recognition
of the ability and loyalty OF men who
ing men and men Of low capacity, who
want positions for the sake or dis
tinction or emolument.
TT" contends the Buffalo News
democracy is held to be a system OF
government under which the right
to exercise authority rests on the vote
of a majority of the populace, care
fully recorded and subject to revi-
sion at frequent intervals, then de-
mocracy becomes the form of an
organization which can give the best
assurance of stability and resolute-
ness. The reason Is that power must
rest either on the will of the people,
as expressed by vote, or on some
method Of seizure and maintenance
by force. Are not the troubles or the
world which make Mr., Wells pessi-
mistic due rather to the failure to ac-
cept than to the adoption OF democ-
racy, as thus defined?"
"One would like to know what the
gentleman is thinking about when he
refers to democracy" remarks the
Tulsa World. For arguments sake,
however, one may safely admit that
all forms of government coming un-
der such q classification have failed
to attain perfection-have, indeed,
committed the offense named. But
where shall we turn to a government
that has not failed?"
"If Mr.. Wells is saying that our
particular form of democratic gov.
ernment is not successful" says the
Canton Daily News, that Is one
thing, and we should be inclined to
agree IN part and thank him for
pointing out it's shortcomings. But
If he means that the principles and
the faith and the cult of democracy
are failures, that is entirely another,
and We should disagree entirely. ss