Evening star., 1934-06-21
Democracy.


President Roosevelt, speaking at
Yale University yesterday, said that
the American people are living in
democracy" and "are going to con-
tinue to live in a democracy" and his
remark, presumably, sent a goodly
few persons scurrying to their die
tionaries.
Millions hear and use the word
every day, but. like other linguistic
symbols of an abstract character. the
word democracy" as many realize,
Is variously defined. 1t comes down
from a Greek source, but the Greeks
themselves differed in their concep-
ton of its meaning. The democracy"
of the golden age of Pericles was one
thing, and the democracy" Of the
degenerate age of Aristotle was quite
another. In point of historical fact,
there never was a pure" democracy
in ancient Greece-the Greek CITY,
state was ruled by a privileged few,
and chattel slaves. possessed of no
personal freedom of any kind, formed
a large section of the population.
But even in much more modern
times there has been confusion about
the significance Of the word. The
Century Dictionary, for example,
lodges the issue with the qualified ex-
position: Government by the peo-
pie; a system of government in which
the sovereign power Of the state is
vested in the people as a whole and
is exercised directly by them or their
elected agents" And the average
"searcher for the TRUTH" reading such
an expedient and all-inclusive circum-
scription, remains as puzzled and con-
fused as he was before he consulted
the lexicon.
John Locke, however. appears to
have had clear and unshadowed
image in his mind when he wrote:
The majority, having the whole
power of the community, may employ
all that power in making laws and
executing those laws; and there the
form of the government is a perfect
democracy.
And Ralph Waldo Emerson likewise
was exempt from doubt when, refer
ring to the institution of the town
meeting, he declared:
In this open democracy, every
opinion had utterance; every objec-
ton. every fact, every acre of land,
every bushel of rye its entire weight.
But Thomas H Benton also was
untroubled by skepticism about the
democratic ideal when, in a practical
application, he penned the paragraph:
He was democratic, not in the
modern sense Of the term, as never
bolting a caucus nomination and
never thinking differently from the
actual administration; but on prin-
clple, as founded in strict, In con-
trad1Stinction to a latitudinarian, con-
struction of the Constitution.
Abraham Lincoln sponsored a prag-
matte definition of democracy in the
United States when at Gettysburg he
uttered the famous epigram: Gov
eminent of the people. by the people.
for the people," and it well may be
that Mr.. Roosevelt gives unreserved
adherence to the Emancipator's doc
trine
Thoughtful citizens, however, would
appreciate an explanatory discussion.
The philosophy of the new deal is
still somewhat hazy in the public
mind. Is the democracy" which the
President cited that of Walt Whitman
or that Of William Jennings Bryan,
that of Woodrow Wilson or that of
Rexford G. TugwenP If Hugh S.
Johnson is a model Democrat" what
is Carter Glass? And If Henry A.
Wallace represents the approved type,
what was it that Alfred z. Smith
personified in 1928?
Perhaps the Presidents conception
is similar to that of Lord MacauIay-a
worthy sentimental belief that "the
best government is that which desires
to make the people happy and knows
how to make them happy" So much
is indicated by many recent develop
ments, but the Outstanding philosopher,
viewing the changing scene, respect
fully requests additional informa-
ton"