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THE KING’S BUSINESS which Germany had begun. And as to saving Democracy, a very large propor tion of the people of America would not be in favor of shedding one drop of good American blood to make any other nation a Democracy. If Germany or any other nation wishes to be a Democracy, that is for them to decide. We have no more right to force Democracy upon Germany by bomb and bayonet than Germany has a right to force Autocracy upon us in the same way. To force Democracy upon another people that does not want it, is in itself thor- oughly undemocratic. Indeed, while we are talking about making the whole world Democratic, we are making America more undemocratic all the time in countless ways. ^The act on the part of the Congress and Senate of the United States of America was purely on the ground that Germany had already begun a war upon us. There is no need of shifting the ground and to try to do so is simply weakening the cause of the United States'of America. of Righteousness through the triumph of the Allies, l his hope is utterly vain. The Allies may eventually conquer in this war. To us it certainly seems to be hoped that they will, but if they do the outcome will not be Universal Democracy, and even if it was it would not be a Reign of Righteousness. Democracy can be just as corrupt as Autocracy and there may be as much society bondage in a Democracy as under an Autocracy. Secretary of State Lansing, in an address delivered to the 1600 candidates for the reserve i commissions at Madison Barracks, July 9th, is reported as spying, “The inde- pendence of no nation is safe, the liberty of no individual is sure, until the military despotism which now holds the German people in the hollow of its hand has been made impotent and harmless forever.” This may be true, but even if the “military despotism which holds the German people in the hollow of its hand” were “made impotent and harmless forever,” the independence of no nation would be safe, and the liberty of tjo individual would be sure. But there is not the slightest possibility that the German people will be permanently sub jugated. Nations have been defeated and practically crushed time and time again, simply to emerge in a few years. The German people will not be perma nently crushed by any possible outcome of the war. It is not desirable that they or any other people should be crushed. Mr. Lansing went pn to say, “For its own safety as well as for-the cause of human liberty this great republic is marshaling its armies and preparing with all its vigor to aid in ridding Germany as well as the world of the most ambitious and unprincipled autocracy which has ever arisen to stay the wheels of progress and imperil Christian civiliza tion. This is buncombe, pure and simple. This country is marshaling its armies for no such purpose, but- to defend specific rights that have been infringed upon. We have no business to rid Germany of anything it wants. It is for them to decide. If they want autocracy, they have a right to keep it In another flight of eloquence Mr. Lansing says, “With lofty purpose, with patriotic fervor, with intense earnestness, the American democracy has drawn the sword which will not be sheathed until the forces of absolutism go down defeated and broken.” This is simply foolishness. If we are not to sheath the sword “until the forces of absolutism go down defeated and broken,” we have Vain Hopes. Many are flattering themselves that the-outcome of the present war'is to be Universal Democracy and a Reign .
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