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294-;
ISSUES AND. EVENTS
The German Idea
(Continued from page 292.)
The point of these catch phrases, and that is the
peculiar thing about them, is always directed against
Germany. “Autocracy” is the terrible word that is
hurled at her, and its mere application is considered
sufficient to stamp her as the most dangerous product
of evil ingenuity-more dangerous than the “Yellow
Peril,” or the Knout of the Tsar, or the shipment of
liquor into dry territory.
Autocracy and Democracy are, at best, for practical
purposes, only vague and shifting terms. They are
relative and skillfully elude all exact definition. Some
very interesting comparisons might be made of various
brands of Democracy and Autocracy in vogue among
the nations of the world. But comparisons are not
our object. Our object is rather to draw a sketch of
Germany as it really exists, and to show what it means;
to point out the new and permanent features in the
new Germany, and to indicate what part they took in
her development, until the whole world paid her the
supreme compliment of attacking her.
In this we do not attempt to "fill in” the picture.
We have only indicated in a rough sketch the lines
along which Germany has developed and is developing;
for she is yet far from her goal. Many lines in the
sketch are still faint and their value not quite estab-
lished. But the sketch is definite enough to show that
Germany is not what she is popularly believed to be.
One thing this sketch is not: It is neither a justifica-
tion nor a condemnation, but only a presentation of the
German system. It may, or it may not, be good for
other lands; Germany, at any rate, has made a success
of it.
The German “Autocracy:” The New Socialism
Chapter II.
There is nothing in the world so easy as calling one
a badname-and nothing so futile. When, therefore,
the enemies of Germany throw at her bricks labeled
“autocracy” and thereby think to have crushed her
before the eyes of the world, they only spend energy
that could well be used for more practical purposes.
They do not harm Germany; for she continues on her
, old way, pushingfurther ahead a mighty empire that
has risen within three or four decades from an obscure
and contemned conglomeration of one-horse principali-
ties-from a mere “geographical expression”--to one of
the leading cultural and industrial nations of the world.
A much better way to employ one’s time is to find
out how such a thing could happen. Never yet has an
autocracy achieved great things, except in military
matters. Despotism does not stimulate activity in the
arts of peace, but rather depends upon war and con-
quest for its existence. ,
Whatever one may say of Germany’s position as a
military power, there is no use shutting one’s eyes to
the fact that Germany has achieved even greater dis-
tinction in science and art, commerce and industry.
And these are occupations which are generally believed
to flourish only in countries where freedom of enter-
prise flourishes, and where ‘people go to work “with a
will,” and not by compulsion. It might seem there-
fore, that other elements besides despotism make up
the German “autocracy,” that Germany presents a
case when an autocracy is not an autocracy ; or, if that
name still apply, that it is an autocracy in a peculiar
sense-entirely different from the common conception.
Autocracy in the ordinary sense-the sense which
the brick throwers take-means, according to the offi-
cial definition: “Government by one vested with abso-
lute and'uncontrolled authority.” But Germany has a
written instrument that has a perfectly valid claim to
be called a constitution. She also has a parliament
whos-e upper house, it is true, still depends upon the
Drmciple of heredity, like the English House of Lords,
but whose lower house, on the other hand, depends
upon absolutely universal suiirage, far more extensive
than in England. This lower house, moreover, be-
cause of its many parties and groups within parties,
reflects public opinion far more accurately than does
the Congress of the United States, with its two parties
of almost identical doctrines-more accurately, in fact,
than the parliament of any other country save possibly
France. Her municipalities have local self government
far more extensive in power and scope than any Am-
erican city ever dreamed of, or, under present con-
ditions, could be trusted with. All this scarcely smacks
after the cruel bloodthirsty despotism which her ene-
mies would stamp upon Germany.
But the Kaiser? That terrible Kaiser! Is he not the
very personification of despotism! He must be almost
as bad as our own Colonel, whose rough-rider togs
and flashing teeth compare well with the Emperor’s
military helmet and upturned mustache. As a matter
of fact, however, the Emperor has fewer nominal
powers than the President of the United States.- And
his rather high-Hown theory of the “Divine Right to
Government” works out, after all, as in the case of any
man of high political position who still believes in the
now somewhat old-fashioned doctrine of Christianity,
into a “Divine Responsibility for Government.” The
Emperor neither commands the majority party in
power nor does he have the power of patronage for
free and uncontrolled use, nor does he even have the
opportunity always to raise the standard of the “deer
peepul” whenever he wishes to have a pet measure
passed. Whatever infiuence he does have is largely
personal, and the influence of personality is just as
effective whether emanating from an emperor, or from
a chancelor, or from a prime minister, or from a presi-
dent. Every government is necessarily one of men, and
the character of men will be the decisive factors in de-
termining the character of the government. And if
the men who govern have no character of their own,
someone else’s character will be impressed upon the
government, which character is always irresponsible,
and mostly bad.
But Germany is an Autocracy-of a peculiar sort.
A proper definition of it is: “Government by and for
the social organism, invested with reasonable powers
over the individual, and controlled only by considera-
tions of public policy.” This amounts to a certain con-
trol over the individual, but for the benefit of society,
and the security of the individual himself. In other
words, Germany is not a governmental, but a social,
autocracy, of which the government is but one and
integral part, acting in harmony with the whole; and
not something outside of and apart from the rest of
society. This may or may not be a good form of
social organization; at any rate it is different from
any of the old forms of both autocracy and democraCYv
which subsist either for the benefit of one man and
his immediate following, or for the benefit of a greater
or smaller majority of a group of men, which majority.
in many cases, may only be a small and active minority.
(Continued on page 296.)