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Show H THE PRINCIPLES OF DEMOCRACY. It is interesting in looking back over ancient news- papers files to see how our fathers and grandfathers used H ! to observe July Fourth. It is no mere affair of noise and H ' double-header ball games. The country people gathered H from miles around to hear the oratory at picnics. Or they would assemble in stuffy halls on hot days and rap- turously applaud the orators who responded to the toasts. H The old time Fourth of July address had a character- H istic spreadeagleism. Our people glorified their institu- H tions of government, as well they might. But they were too H contemptuous of the rest of the world. They felt that our H system of government had created a political elysium. 1 We had solved all problems, now let the rest of the world H come and learn of us. B As our people grew more mature, we began to see that H we had not acquired all wisdom. As wealth increased, H corruption grew. Our cities, even under the blessings' of H a Republican form of government, were worse adminis- 1 tered than those of Europe. We began to see that not all 1 problems are solved by giving men their liberty. Educa- H tion and intelligence are also needful. H The great war has renewed our faith in democracy. H We have by no means forgotten the weakness that go H withit. Monarchial government may for the time being H provide a higher efficiency. To get business like adminis- H tration, power needs to be concentrated in a few hands. H But the fatal defects in a highly centralized govern- H ment are now too obvious to need exposition. The rights H and the prosperity of the people, their very life itself, are BH "U swept away as of no account at the whim of kings. f Today the world is rapidly turning toward these princi- B pies, first clearly enunciated on July 4, 1776. It is only H on ie basis those principles that an enduring peace flj can be formed. Hri o |