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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (June 17, 1910)
v :v 5 JUNE 17, 1910 "MOOK" AND "REAL" DEMOCRACY The spectacle of Theodore Roosevelt, ex president of the United States and the most popular of living Americans, standing in the Guild hall at London, impressively lecturing the British government on the lack of sufficient se verity of its Imperial and despotic government of Egypt is humiliating to every American who believes in the principles on which this govern ment was founded. The doctrine of despotism, of government without consent of the governed, cordially ad vocated by one who followed Washington and Jefferson and Lincoln in the presidential chair of this republic! The British empire publicly and to its face rebuked because its imperialism is too "senti mental," by the great representative of the re public that took up arms against British im perialism in 1776! "In certain vital points you have erred," said Mr. Roosevelt, speaking of the British rule of Egypt. "It is for you to make good your error." And he defined the "error" thus: "It has been an error proceeding from an effort to do too much and not too little in the interests of the Egyptians themselves. In such a situation as yours in Egypt weakness, timidity, sentimen tality, may cause even more far reaching harm than violence and injustice." Of all the broken reeds sentimentality" is the most broken reed on which righteousness can lean." This is the rede of a former American presi dent to the British government that is finding trouble in governing Egypt without the consent and against the will of the conquered and sub ject people! And he says, further: "Remember also that I am not only an Amer ican, but a radical, a' real, not a mock, demo crat and I advise you only in accordance with the principles on which I have myself act ed as an American president in dealing with the 'Philippines." Such are the first fruits of American entrance on the imperial policy! Little more than a de cade has passed, but already America is giving lessons to the British, empire as to the best way to govern an enslaved people against their consent; lessons based on American practice; lessons grounded, "in blogd and. iron!- ; . "A real, not a mock democrat," says Mr. Roosevelt. The Declaration of Independence says: "We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal; that they are en dowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." Is that "mock" democracy? .Were Samuel Adams, and John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin, and all the immortal galaxy of patriots whose names were appended Jto that document, were they all "mock" democrats? Were the patriots who took, up arms for that doctrine, and who starved and bled and died for it; were the generals who led them and the statesmen and philanthropists who lent strength to their arms, were they all "mock" democrats? Thomas Jefferson said: . "If there be one principle more deeply rooted than any other in the mind of every American, it is that we should have nothing to do with conquest. Conquest is not in our principles; it is inconsistent with our government." .Was Thomas Jefferson, father and founder of hh? party, author of the Declaration, the prophet of free American institutions, was he, too, a "mock" democrat? Henry Clay said: "It is .the doctrine of thrones that man is too ignorant to govern himself. I contend that it is to arraign the disposition of Providence himself to suppose that he created beings in capable of governing themselves, and to be trampled on by kings. Self-government is,, the natural government of man." Was Henry Clay a "mock" democrat? ! Abraham Lincoln said: "The assertion that all men are created equal was of no practical use in effecting our separa tion from Great Britain; and it was placed in the Declaration not for that, but for future use. Its authors meant it to be as, thank God, it is now proving itself a stumbling block to all those .who in after times, might seek to turn a fr'ee people back into the hateful paths of despotism. This is a world of compen sations, and he who would be no slave must con tent to have no slave. Those who deny free dom to others deserve It not for themselves, The Commoner. and, under a just God, can not long retain It." It was Abraham Lincoln, too, who spoke of " the doctrine of the Declaration as "an absolute truth, applicable to all mon and all times.' and who prophesied that "in all coming days it shall be a rebuke and a stumbling block to tho harbingers of reappearing tyranny and op pression." Was Abraham Lincoln a "mock" democrat? If all these mon were "mock" democrats; if tho doctrines for which they stood are "mock" democracy, who are tho "real" democrats and what is tho "real" democracy? Can no man qualify for "real" democracy unless he be willing to enroll himself among the oppressors of men? Are emperors aud despots the greatest democrats, and are those who resist and dery them only "hiock" demo crats and "sentimentalists?" Must tho "real" democrat look back with shame on tho "mock" democrats of 177 6, and breathe to heaven a prayer for forgiveness for the shameless wrong done by the American forefathers to King George and Lord North? England has been a long time in waiting, but finally tho reparation for the acts of treason committed by Washington and his ragged band of rebels has come. A successor of Washington, hardly a year out of the White House, journeys to London to admit that the revolution was a mistake, that it Is right to govern men without their consent, that despotism Is the real democ racy, and that despotism's greatest fault is, not "violence and injustice," but "sentimentality." William J. Bryan Is now in tho British Isles. There are a good many million Americans, wo feel sure, who are praying for this "mock" dem ocrat to deliver, on British soil, the answer that should be made to that self-vaunted "real" dem ocrat, Theodore Roosevelt. Omaha World-Herald. CHAMP CLARK AND THE SPEAKERSHIP It grates unpleasantly on ears democratic, in dependent or otherwise to hear of captious op position to Champ Clark for speaker In case the democrats carry tho congressional elections in November. Measured by courago, candor and fidelity, there is not a man in the democratic ranks who r will deserve- better things pt a triumphant democracy than tho present' minority leader of the house of representatives. Stalwart and unflinching, stout of heart and firm of faith, tho gallant Missourlan has held the helm through all the floundering of the democratic ship through heavy seas. No man ever heard him utter a note of discouragement, and his voice has rung clarion clear in defiance to party enemies arid in inspiration to party friends through the darkest days of the decade behind him. His character has been a shield and his loy alty a buckler to his beleaguered and discour aged camp when qualities like his were under obscuration everywhere. It would be not less unwise than ungrateful for the democracy In its hour of triumph to turn back upon the leader whose high, brave, spirit has been Its excellent asset in adversity. Editorial in New York American. EXPENSIVE - Tho present session of congress promises to be a record breaker so far as extravagance Is concerned. The Washington correspondent for the New York World says; From the present indications it looks, not withstanding the cry for economy, that this con gress will be a $1,000,000,000 one and exceed the appropriations of the last congress by about $20,000,000. The following table gives about the difference between the two sessions of con gress: This Session. Last Session. Agriculture $ 13,487,036 $ 12,995,036 Army 95,440,567 101,195,883 Diplomatic 4,116,081 3,613,861 District of Col 10,608,001 10,699,531 Fortifications 5,6i7,000 8,170,111 Indian , 9,000,000 11,854,982 Legislative 33,897,850 32,007,049 Military Academy.. 1,856,249 2,531,521 Navy 130,770,934 136,935,199 Pension ,155,000,000 160,908,000 Postofllce 241,000,000 234,692,370 River and Harbor. . 52,000,000 9,435,750 Sundry Civil 111,804,838 137,696,623 Deficiency 17,500,000 20,310,339 Miscellaneous 5,000,000 1,259,515 Perm. An. Approps. 160,096,082 160,096,082 Public Buildings... 15,000,000 Grand total 1,062,195,237 1,044,401,857 0 0 '' . KEEP IT BEFORE THE PEOPLE "You can not control the trust by the 0 government when the government in con- trolled by the trusts." Senator Robert L. Owen. 0 - 0 ' TELL IT TO YOUR REPUBLICAN NEIGHBOR 0 "You can not control the trusts by tho . government when the government Is con- trolled by the trusts." Senator Robert L. Owen. 0 TELL IT TO YOU DEMOCRATIC NEIGHBOR 0 "You can not control the trasts by tho government when the government is con- J trolled by the trusts." Senator Robert L. Owen. 0 TELL IT TO YOUR POPULIST . NEIGHBOR . 0 "You can not control the trusts by the government when the government is con- trolled by the trusts." Senator Robert L. Owen. ?) - -'..-, TELL IT TO YOUR SOCIALIST NEIGHBOR 0 ' " - .; "You can not control tho trusts by the v government when the government is con- trolled by the trusts." Senator Robert 0 L. Owen. 0 TELL IT TO YOUR PROHIBITIONIST NEIGHBOR "You can not control the trusts by tho government when the government Is con- trolled by the trusts." Senator Robert L. Owen. 0 U0 TELL IT TO YOUR INDEPENDENT NEIGHBOR "You can not control the trusts by tho government when the government Js con- 'trolled by the trusts."- Senator Robert - L. Owen. . . r 0 WRITE IT UPON YOUR HEART "You am not control the trusts by tho government when the government is con trolled by the trusts." Senator Robert L. Owen. . THEN WRITE IT UPON YOUR BALLOT "You can not control the trusts by tlie government when the government la con- trolled by the trusts." Senator Robert L. Owen.