The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-12-24
NEWSPAPERS OPINIONS
DEMOCRACY A FAILURE?

The commonest excuse for dictatorship is that
it gets things done.
Democracy is fine in theory say the totalitarians,
but it is inefficient 1t substitutes talk for action,
and it just cannot function properly in a complex
and probem-laden world like the present.
So it is a pretty good idea to look at the record
now and then and see what things really do get
done in democracy.
1t just happens that democracy's actual record
of achievement is nothing to be ashamed Of it also
happens that this habit Of talking everything over
at great length is an essential part of the machin-
cry by which things get done.
What is democracy's record?
Democracy has worked for peace; dictators have
worked for war Democracy has worked for limi-
tation of ornaments Britain largely stripping her
self of weapons of war; Dictatorships meanwhile
secretly armed .r--
Democracy set itself to repair the ravages of
war to raise the standards of living, to make life
better and safer for the common man.
Dictatorship set out 10 make the individual the
slave of the state to deny the Individual physical
and even mental and spiritual freedom.
Democracy has always preached the sanctity Of
human life Dictatorship denies the right to life of
any who disagree with it and even of any who
happen to be born of parents of whom it does not
approve.
Democracy produced the airplane and pioneered
with it in great new pathways over continents and
oceans. .-- .,.".-
Dictatorship has seized on the new evange of
world brotherhood and developed it into the most
horrible instrument of cruelty and torture the
world has ever known. -.
Demoeraeies have provided their people with
marvellous new highway systems to promote neigh
borliness between themselves and also between ma
tions--look what has been done in that direction
on the North American continent
Dictatorships have copid the idea to build new
highways along which to catapult maraudiug armies
into their neighbors' territories. .- ..-- . So.
Democracy has given the automobile to the
masses for their use and pleasure. Dictatorship has
kept the passenger automobile for the use of the
wealthy and has given it to the masses only in the
form of deadly military weapons for use against
their neighbors
Democracy has put the radio into the homes of
the people and developed it's use for entertainment
and enlightenment. 81, .-.-. ..,.
Dictatorship has seized on the radio to poison
the minds of the people over whom it reigns and to
stir up strife and bloodShed AMONG its neighbors.
20 Democracy has given freedom to people to listen
to broadcasts from other lands and thus to promote
understanding and brotherhood.
Dictatorship has made it crime to listen to any
broadcast but that emanating from its own Minis
try of Propaganda.
Thus you can go through the whole gamut of
the gifts OF science to humanity and what do you
find? as 49,. /.
You nnd democracy ever striving towards the
highest use OF these gifts dictatorship ever direct
ing them to the basest ends.
Shall we, in the face of the record, which every
day Is written anew on the front pages of our
newspapers subscribe to the defeatist doctrine
that democracy is failure?
snaE we even dare to say that the war was
lougnt IN yain?-Montreal Daily Herald ND =