The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1940-10-10

| tyranny They pretty ripe for democracy.
| They didn't know much about 1t. But do you know
what they did? They let down the barrier that
France her bloody era and liberty equality and
| fraternity. They set off whole period when mon
archy order to hold to its tipsy throne had to meet
tuition; they flag of blood red, courage blue,
and purity white. They framed Declaration of
Independence that to all men has stood the apex
of human rights and freedom.
But today democracy may be meeting its most
test. For reaction it appears is sweepingly
against it. It's running like fire before the wind
on prairie toward oppression tyranny dictatorial
powers unlimited Tyranny is quite firm It's
older than democracy 1t has resources unlimited.
1t commands now almost four-fifths of the globe;
it's got quite clientele and it's drawing
toners each day. Whether in the face of this re-
dictionary tide democracy survive is a moot
question.
I say it But say that you and I are to
mend ways Democracy is like health or teeth.
It's like rain sun; it's the sum of hope of life
and love, of liberty of happiness. It's peope-all of
them-and the great composite that governs this
orb, human nature It's like health because we go
along pretty blithey while feel we'll And then
suddenly SICK realize that pain is the negation
Of that health, and whimper and wonder why we
didn't take better of this body. It's like
rain because accept that too. 1t may spoil our
picncs it too much, too little. So long
the shines accept it and wallow con-
fortingly in it's warmth and become indolent
When it disappears for six days, as it did
not long ago. we're crabbier than baby cutting his
first tooth. So we've spoiled in the warmth and
humanness of democracy In it's encradlng arms
we've become indoent-worse still, Indifferent.
ssss
You can't take democracy for granted. 1t must
be practced. 1t must be lived. 1t must like dough
be kneaded. It must be cherished, protected with
life if need be, but far better it's something to live
for 1t respects the individual and the individual
is it's leaven. We've become indolent toward democ-
racy We accept the good things and plenty to eat
But should it step on our toes even little we are
ready to sell it down the river.
There is no place in democracy for selfshness,
nsincerity Selfshness is the handmaiden and
the Waterman for greed, lust, oppression, tyranny.
We've become pretty self-centered. Freedom can be
overdone A man is free so long as he keeps off
the paths of his neighbor But when he
gets selfish there is more freedom. So now
democracy gets a bit sick. 1t gets a kick in the
pants from reaction 1t gets told by sickeningly
efficient dicatoral powers it is oldish muddlng, and
slow and soft. We get mad at that. We race
pell nell to show them efficient, hard, young
and full of fire. So we pass up precedent; we toss
a tradition two out Of the window; we conscript
Little nonentities in themselves. But do they
prelude greater encroachment on the public liberty.
Which of these liberties shall protect. Which
do without. We have freedom Of speech,
of press of assembly, of right to worship, of opinion
Do you know what they are? They are the arna-
ments, massed of free people. The most powerful
weapon democracy has. It's public opinion, privately,
publicly individually and collectively expressed
Without them public opinion is still-born...
Sure denocracys muddlng when nobody cares.
If there's graft and greed and political corruption
there those to blame. Not politics. not the pot
clans. We, the people. They are our creatures,
born of indifference, Incidence. But
muddlng democracy be in the lethargic
course of even times it can be with the precision
Of light. Public opinion can tie the hands Of the
works Of the government. It shape destiny.
And it must. We may that in the expediency
of the moment that certain sacrifices Of personal
liberties must be made. Fine. But how many. We
,o,,ctI Of fI,frr roorc hofOr
Is there road back? Will there be a clearly marked
trail, after the emergency Is over back to the spot
where left liberties? Will they be neatly
tagged and packaged 50 can pick them up, thrust
The problem, I think, is not fifth column such.
It's much adventuresome, more romantic to
think :. But it is the more prosac, the less
spectacular cure that democracy needs here The
problem is self interest, money grubbng selfishness
greed-and most important of all, indolent lacka-
dasical Amercansm that Is really no force at all
but a spneless, negative thing. Public opinion,
liberty, equality fraternity What are you doing
to deserve being an American? We should be living
it every day. You have to pay for the breaks
in this life
Democracy is at some sort Of threshold there
are those who believe. But democracy is not like
wood metal dead, Hfeess substances that can
be handled. It's alive; thing of the spirit
1t was a spirit when the "Star Spangled Banner"
written lines like that aren't written from cold
calculation They spontaneous; they burst out
1t was spirit at Valley Forge, in the Civil War
too {. It's spirit today well. Perhaps best
example of that spirit is song A song we've
been given by Russian-born composer and song
bird, that is a tuneful, prayerful, hopeful song as
American ice cream a buffalo nickel. God
Bless America" It's one of the most poignant
Bless America. :. It's Of the most poignant
things we've been given in century. It's pregnant
with the kind of humility it takes for democracy;
it's the breath Of simple men, We might add in
these hours-when the forces within are quite as
dangerous as those from without-God help America!