Imperial Valley press. (El Centro, Calif.) 1907-current, 1940-03-31
Democracy Still Ends in
Dictatorship Unless Closely Watched
By Hendrix WiIIem van Loon
illustrated by the outhor
CHAPTER "a

In the Old World, the politica
development painstakingly follow
ing the Platonic schedule. passe;
through the complete cycle of event
which that old Athenian philoSophe
had predicted $500 years before.
In one of the most glorious out
bursts If human decency, the hes
part of the nations sincerely ant
honestly endeavored to bring abou
those reforms which would nav
produced a much more equitable
reshuffling of the political and econ
omic cards. But having staret
themselves blind on Theoretical
mankind" these poor professor
found themselves with no knowledge
of man
Others. who knew man very
we'll and who cared naught FOL
mankind" found it ridiculouslN
easy to destroy this small group Of
well-mcaning enthusiasts. These
others then established a demo
cratic reign of terror which fol
sheer violence and sadistic cruelty
remained unsurpassed until Com,
rade Stain appeared upon thu
scene.
In their despair and facing COM
plete determination, the more rea'
sonable elements of society finally
banded together to put an end t6
this intolerable state of affairs
Eagerly and willingly, they accepted
a dictator.
This dictator. Napoleon by name
started his career selling the ideals
of Liberty. Fraternity and Equality
to the people of Europe. He ended
il as their Slave-driver and made
himself 50 generally obnoxious that
his colleagues, the other European
potentates. feared for their owl,
safety and we're obliged to make
common cause to rid the world OF
this usurper.
No sooner had they relegatec
the emperor to St. Helena than
they tried their best to follow his
example Each one, within his own
bailiWick, set himself up as little
miniature Napoleon. All of them
together succeeded in making their
rule so profoundly distasteful to
their subjects that those subjects
were now beginning to pray for a
return of the comparatively happier
days OF the revolution.
The Spanish colonies in South
America. having for short time
enjoyed a moderate degree Of liberty
while the English were masters
of the sea and prevented Spanish
ships from leaving port, were the
first to rebel They declared them
selves independent and established
= number of republics.
IN spite ut their hlgh-Soundlng
constitutions, mostly after the
Frcnrh pattern few of those re-
publlra nave eyer shown any demo
cratIc tendencies When they did
20 il wa a sort of democracy close
~ r. cmbling dictatorship of the
proietarlat.
In Europe. the worst governed
states were the first to try return
to some form of government
In rapid succession, Greece, Por-
tugal. Spain, Poland and Italy
tried to throw off the yoke Of those
foreign dynaStieS who returned tc
power curing the days OF the great
i-Napoleonic reaction.
In Italy they were successful, but
it took the greater part of century
to get rid of the tyranny of the
HapSbIrgS.
In Greece, independence was
achieved, but it proved the pro-
lD2uc TO an endless succession OF
political rivalrics and aSSaSSlnationS
In Poland, the movement was sup
pressed in the usual Russian fashion
b. hanging all honest patriots. ii
Spain and Portugal, the same.
In France the bankers, Is years
after Napolcon's downfall, brought
about a revolution which drove the
last of the incorrigible BOurbonS
from the country and bestowed the
crown upon a survivor Of the revolu-
tion-prInce of the house of Orleans
who Was thereupOn acclaimed as
Louis Philippe, King of the French
by the will Of the people
eli that happened in or before
Inc year 1880, but the explosion was
not serious enough to cause uni
yersal change.
The reactionaries continued tc
suppress al attempts at liberty with
unparalleled force and lack oNima-
gination until the outbreak of l843
which Tor a moment seemed tc
menace every throne in every part
Of the world. But no sooner were
the new popular leaders in power
than it was the same sad old story
All over again.
Under the iHW democratic maHtrrs
there was a complete absence OF