The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-05-30
Is Democracy Crumbling?

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It is we'll that we should beware OF
fifth column" tactics or trojan horses"
such as Germany has used to undermine
Norway, Denmark and other conquered
states and we should continually be on the
alert to safeguard this country from COM
munism, nazism; fascism and all Of the 9TH
er "isms" except "Americanism", but these
are not the greatest enemies of our own de-
mocratic system of government. There are
others which are much closer home and
which are slowly eating away at the very
roots of American democracy.
Motivated by the high ideals of "n1ak-
ing the world safe for Democracy" and of
fighting to end all wars, the flower of
Americas youth and much of its vast re-
sources twenty-five years ago were en-
gagged in great struggle across the Allan
tic that cost us over sixty billion dollars
and one hundred thousand lives.
For centuries the hearts of men had
yearned for Democratic system OF gov
eminent and at last it had not only been
established in this country, but it had also
been made to work and to "work wonders.
We were so proud of it, so proud OF the op-
portunity it offered for worldwide broth,
erhood that we wanted to share it with 9TH
er nations and especially those OF Europe
That was indeed noble effort and was
the most idealistic international undertak-
ing recorded on history's pages, but 1t
didn't work. Rousseau once said, IF there is
a people consisting of gods, they would be
governed democratically; so perfect gov
eminent is not suitable to men,.
This system of government that places
Individual freedom first and makes public
officials the "servants Of the people" and
not their dictators and masters, just
wouldn't work in many countries OF dis
contented Europe and for the past fifteen
years the greatest struggle throughout the
world has been waged over systems OF
governmtnt'.
Several of the European countries upon
whom Democracy was imposed, including
Germany, simply could not get it to func-
ton successfully and as result, much con-
fusion, discord and collapse took place.
Gradually there developed economic inse-
curity and a general state Of chaos. Upon
the scenes appeared Dictators in Germany,
italy and Russia who offered ito feed,
cloth and shelter" the people, which is the
first essential function of any successful
system of government. In return, the peo-
pie were willing to sacrifice their personal
liberties of freedom of speech, freedom OF
press, freedom of assembly and freedom of
worship.
This struggle for worldwide dominance
of system of government" has climaxed
itself in the second World War that is
worse than the first one. In this conflict all
of the inventions of science are being en-
ployed to destroy people and nations, at
much faster rate than was even dreamed
possible in the past.
But what has this to do with the decline
of Democracy in the United States? Not
great deal directly, but of course it offers
a serious threat in event we should have to
fight a dictator nation. Dictatorships are
more efficient than Democracy and we
might have to adopt their methods tempo
rarily in order to speed up military opera
tionS.
But the deadly thing that is gradually
eating away the foundations of our Demo-
cracy is the Indifference of our own peo-
pie towards our great system of govern
ment