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THE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
as I have seen, because modern tenden cies are democratic and these feet and toes must refer to modern tim es; th e re fore, th e iron and clay m ust mean democracy. But we demur. May not the kingdom be divided into autocracies ra th e r th an democracies? The ten toes seem to mean ten kingdoms and the incongruous elements in them may be the au to cratic more th a n the democra tic tendencies. Or may not the streng th of th e iron rep resen t democ racy, while th e weakness of th e m iry clay represents autocracy? Certainly th e democracies of today are the strong iron-like governments, while the autoc racies are crumbling like clay. Is it not tru e th a t a democracy w ith an in tel ligent, righteous people has in it more elements of enduring stren g th th a n any kind of autocracy?? Nevertheless, a League of Nations w ith a democratic basis has its perils. If nations elect to join it, they may, of course, elect to leave it. And it is possible th a t a League of Nations may cause w ar ra th e r th an prevent it. The United States is a League of Nations w ith a Supreme Court before which cases between States are tried as are cases between individuals in other courts. And yet th is League of Nations w ith its in tern ation al tribun al did not escape war. Indeed, th e fact of the League did much to precipitate th e w ar and then to continue it. The Southern States declared th a t they were not fight ing so much for the perpetuation of slavery, which they would have gladly been rid of, as for w hat they called “S tates’ R ights,” th a t is, th e rig h t of each S tate to leave th e League or Union when it saw fit to do so; and Abraham Lincoln insisted th a t th e N orthern States were fighting more for th e preser vation of the Union of States th a n for th e abolition of slavery, much as he h ated the institu tion . If th e re had been no League of Nations and each S tate had been perm itted to pursue its own course, th ere m ight have been no
people constitutional government, but th e others did not agree. Every ru ler on earth , except the Pope and th e Sul tan of Turkey, was invited to join this “Holy A lliance,” and every one did join it except the P rince Regent of England, who expressed him self by le tte r as in perfect sympathy w ith its principles, bu t declared th at, not he, bu t the Prim e M inister, should sign it. It seems th a t th e Prim e M inister declined to dp so, and very properly, because he rep re sented the people, and the “Holy Alli ance” was not a league of peoples, but of sovereigns. This “Holy A lliance” is helieved to have served a very useful purpose, but it began to be regarded by some as a conspiracy again st popular liberties and th e rising wave of democracy did much tow ard sweeping it away. It may have done something tow ard preventing wars, bu t its influence in Europe was thoroughly overcome by the grow th of th e m ilitary spirit, which finally under B ismarck consolidated th e German Empire and began to prepare for world conquest. And yet some stud en ts of histo ry th in k they can trace a very in tim ate connection between the “Holy A lliance” and th e calling of the first in tern ation al peace conference a t the H ague in 1899. Now it is very evident th a t P resident Wilson, E arl Grey, and others in te r ested in form ing a League of Nations are agreed th a t it shall be organized on a democratic basis afte r th e pattern of David and the elders of Israel rath e r th a n of Solomon and H iram . It is not to be a League of Kings, Emperors or Presidents, b u t of peoples. This, we believe, m eans for it more permanence and usefulness th an the “Holy Alli ance.” Yet th ere is a strong consensus of opinion among many Bible students th a t th e feet and toes of Daniel’s image, made of th e incongruous elements of clay and iron, rep resen t democracy. This seems to be tak en for gran ted w ith o u t a particle of Biblical proof, so far
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