Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1937-08-23
PROPHECY OR NIGHTMARE.
(Christian Science

(ChriStian Science MONITOR
Before President Roosevelt set up
Lord Macaulay as a whipping boy on
Roanoke Island, an alert reader of
this newspaper had written to the
Monitor quoting many of the same
passages from the famous historians
epistle In his own letter, appearing
on this page, our reader offers Mac
aulay's picture as vivid warning OF
what could happen here, and points
out that whether that picture turns
out to be prophecy or nightmare de-
bends on what Americans do about
democracy.
Mr.. Roosevelt used Macaulay as
prototype of todays tories" who OPP
pose majority rule. He assumes that
all who question his own program
are opposed to democracy, are inter-
ested in maintaining control of gov
eminent in the hands of a relatively
small class deeply interested in the
security of property and the main
tenance of order" We believe this
view is as extreme and as harmful to
the tolerant give and take of Amerl-
can government as is the view OF
those who think the President wishes
to be a dictator riding on the should
ers of mob.
For both views some careful con-
sideration of the Macaulay letter is
worthwhile The dangers OF mobo-
cracv foreseen by the historian are
actual dangers which history shows
have too often overwhelmed nations.
Yet history seldom exactly repeats it
self. And Lord Macaulay did not suf-
ficiently appreciate the safeguards set;
up both by the trainers of the Amer
lean Constitution and by the Amer
lean peoples experience with self
government He said the Constitution
was call said and no anchor"
But the trainers understood the
dangers of mobocracy as well as the
historian And they were very prac-
teal men who knew something of
anchors. They called them checks and
balances. They sought to avoid abuse
of power by splitting the power, not
ONLY as between federal and local gov
ernments but among the legislative,
executive and judicial branches. And
not fully trusting the people they es-
tablished sieves between pure democ-
racy and the final exercise of power.
The Electoral College, where the
wisest men Of the Republic were ex-
pected to CHOOSE a President on a
non-partisan basis, was one. Another
was the election of senators by the
legislatures. Several of these devices
have either broken down in practice
or been changed by amendment. The
widening of the suffrage was move
in the same direction-toward Mr..
Roosevelt's anchor" of more demOc-
racy.
Most Americans would say that
with the safeguards still remaining
in the Constitution this trend to a
more inclusive democracy has not
been dangerous. Education of the
people has probably kept pace with
their new powers and responsibilities.
But the "factionalism" which Madi-
son so much feared is increasing as
citizens increasingly use political
power for the control of economic
forces. The income tax could be used
as Macaulay feared to rob the rich
to support the poor. Every citizen will
think of other possible abuses. But
not while the anchors hold and the
people cling to the Constitution and
to their own understanding that self
government is impossible without
self-contrOl.
We believe both the Lord Mac
aulays of today and the President
have failed to sense adequately either
the true nature or the strength Of
constitutional democracy in the Unit
ed States.