The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-04-19
By WEsTBRoOK PEGLER

BY WESTBROOK PEGLER
NEW YORK.-Don Morris, the editor OF the
Palm Beach Post-Times, has taken a fancy
wind-up and pitched me fat one which
shall now knock right out of the park.
In reply to my recent observat that our
country is not democracy and never was
intended so to be, Mr.. Morris wrote:
II think Pegler does a definite disservlce
to the cause of democracy when he makes
statements to the effect that democracy pro-
vides no protection for the minority. Perhaps
pure democracy does not. But 999 readers
out of thousand will understand him to mean
the American form OF representative democ-
racy, which does. Certainly in the Bill OF
Rights are many projections for minorities.
| The answer is that the American govern
ment is not democracy at all but republic.
Section Four of Article Four says, specifi-
cally: The United States shall guarantee to
every state in this union republican form
of government Nowhere in either the Decla-
ration of Independence or tn e Constitution
down to this date does the word democracy"
or "democratic'' occur.
The democratic form of pure democracy
as Mr.. Morris calls it, is arbitrary rule by
the majority. The representative feature Of
our government is purely republican. 1t is a
system which strives to select superior men
by the vote of the people to represent them
intelligently, soberly and conscentiously and
| above all deliberately and thus guard them
against impetuous, emotional and ill-advised
mob Judgments 1t has been said, in dispar-
agement of Congress, that its intelligence is
no better than that of the voters That simply
is not so. Most, if not all, members of Con-
gress distinctly superior in knowledge end
intelligence to the average of the voters who
elected them.
The democratic party has never had the
reckless gall to advocate pure democracy"
but, having chosen the party label, and be-
cause the rival party long ago staked its
claim to the title republican, the democratic
party cannot afford to boost the republican
system. Therefore it offers an imitation under
the name of Representative democracy" The
republican party, on the other hand, is en-
barrassed by the awkwardness of the word
republicanism" whereas democracy is a
streamlined word which crackles.
Mr.. Morris does not have to argue with me
that 'in the Bill of Rights are many protec
tons for minorities" He is dead right about
that but those projections were put there by
men who believed in and intended to live I'M
der the republican form of government and
I remind him that the only public man of any
prominence who has belittled that bill of rights
was a man who believes in democracy
straight, Vice President Henry Wallace.
Mr.. Wallace did not go into detail as to
how he would renterpret or impair the Bill
of Rights and its guarantees. Challenged i'm
mediately, he changed the subject and he has
never mentioned it again.
| "Of course" Mr.. Morris continued, IF Peg
Ter is openly and honestly opposed to the
American form of representative democracy
he is entitled to his opinion. Then let him
take his stand and argue the case on it's
merits. But don't think he is and I doubt
that he realized the impression that many
will gain from his article
| That is sidelong remark I am devoted
to the American form of government but
say it is republican and I take my stand on
that, but I ask him whether he is opposed to
the only form of government advocated by
name in the Constitution, and if so why he
doesn't openly take his stand against it., and
Will add that II many persons have gained
a mistaken impression from my essay, the
reason is that the political propaganda of the
democratic party, fr m Woodrow Wilson's
time until now has created popular super
stltltlon that we are democracy. Our peo-
pie have enjoyed the safeguards and benefits
of the republican system and democracy has
stolen the credit.
In footnote to my story in the Palm Beach
Post-Times Mr.. Morris warned his readers
not to permit my dislike of the governmental
system of our unions some of which are still
purely democratic but many of which have
degenerated into autocracy, as democracies
always do, to faint "all democracy"
On that point, say that President Roose-
welt has tried relentlessly to drive all the
workers of the United States into these un-
ions, which possess the powers of subgov-
7 eminent. Thus, while preserving the shell of
f the Constitution, Mr. Roosevelt has tried to
place large majority of the American peo
pie under rule which I am sure Mr.. Morris
will agree is abhorrent to the system which
we both cherish, even though he may insist
on callinxait out of it's honest name