Part 3 (2/2)
But he declined to continue the discussion He hed rather weakly and soe to say, during the next few months several other men were encountered, who also bemoaned the ”failure” of our institutions
Our children ht how to ht of recent developments, say that they repudiate the doctrines of Nietzsche, but they are really endorsing one of his prime tenets, namely, that democracy is bound always to be a failure; that the ”masses” should be kept down; that all attempts to elevate ”the herd” are folly; that they should be made to observe that strict morality, from whose shackles the ”superly to authority Women, even in the ”super” class, are made in Nietzsche's opinion, si”
One would think that uest, had never studied democracy They surely do not understand its deep and splendidThey should be made to see, as our children should be, by every means that we can devise, the treovernment shows beyond any other that the world has hitherto known They should have ianized self-control”
Especially should they be told that universal education and unselfishness of patriotism are the only conditions under which a democracy can be perfected; and that no nation has ever yet been sufficiently educated and unselfish to arrive at perfection, and probably will not be until the overnment has nize that our public officials, instead of being our arded by us, and in no Pickwickian sense, as our servants We are all so criovernrafters are in charge of it; but feeling that it is cheaper to let o until they become unendurable, than to take the trouble to keep close track of theular cleaning-up, turn the rascals out, and put in a new set of officials, e hope, will do better
Our children ht that this is a wicked way to do Theypublic affairs They must understand also that, while low salaries must usually be paid to public officials, in order that offices ht, yet that patriots , when they can possibly afford it, to accept these low salaries, if their country is to be well and honestly served
In this e have seen e incomes in order to serve the nation We must learn to do that in peace as well as in war
And we must all understand too, that these officials do not really represent the governing power of our country, which is undoubtedly that intangible thing called Public Opinion It is as subtly invisible as electricity or gravity, but in this nation as powerful
In China, in India, and in most of the other oriental countries; in Russia also, as the recent upheavals there have proved, there is nothing which can properly be called organized Public Opinion In France and in Great Britain, there isIt dominates our whole social and political system Our press is sometimes said to create it Oftener the press says that it follows Public Opinion,--while a considerable section of our population declare that the press and Public Opinion are the sa
In any case, the child should be made to understand that in a truly and nobly deovernment, no czar, no kaiser, no caste nor clique controls, but the people themselves, who, as Lincoln said, can be fooled by their leaders part of the tiht usually sets theht side The child should bemass, he should form his opinions with care
One of the ners, is that we are wholly and ineradicably sordid As outsiders often put it,
”All that Americans care for is the dollar”
Most of us, e hear this, share the sentiirl, who took part in a debate in 1913 on the con and domestic manners
”I have just come back from a summer in Europe,” she said, ”and I found there, on the whole, much worse manners than we have here For instance, in nearly every country where ent, we had relatives and friends, and they were constantly saying, and very rudely, I thought, 'Oh, yes, we understand your America All you care for over there is the dollar' But I don't care for the dollar and my father and my mother, and my uncles and my aunts, and our friends,--hardly anybody I know, in fact,--none of them care for the dollar,--not half so much as they do over there,--and I told theht forth equally passionate applause fro hearers,--for it was true Hu We have only to read the book of Proverbs to see that it was so in ancient ti of that enerous people in the world, and, as a whole, are the freest froe notices of a century or lish periodical, and you will probably find mentioned there the amount of the bride's dowry
We all kno invariably it has to be ascertained nowadays before a foreign noble ourselves, there is al of this sort
One reason, perhaps the principal one, for this universal accusation, is not far to seek All foreign nations have their leisure classes The great nobles and gentry often do not even ent” does it for the for money, the very idea would shock them unspeakably A woman orks for money is especially scorned over there It is seldo whatever
Utterly different is the American estimation of merit Here we have a leisure class, but it is so sible, and it is commonly despised All of our men are expected to work for h many of our rich men often contribute freely much time and labor to public affairs and to philanthropy A wo over here is quite as likely as not to rank a our most respected citizens
As a well-known snob once said, ”Even in our first circles, you once in a while meet one of these writers or painters, who expects to be treated as if he were one of _us_”
Thus Public Opinion controls our social as well as our political life
CHAPTER V
SACRIFICING FOR PATRIOTISM
Look back upon Washi+ngton and upon the Savior-like eons and prison-shi+ps, breathed a noisome air; and when the minions of power came around day after day and offered them life and liberty if they would desert their country's cause, refused and died The great experi tried anew In Greece and Italy it failed through the incapacity of the people to enjoy liberty without abusing it
Millions of huh our wisdoion, the ark of God, is here thrown open to all, and yet is to be guarded froe, lest we perish with a deeper perdition than ever befell any other people--HORACE MANN