Cleveland High School - Beacon Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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DEMOCRACY PAUL V. LUTZ Prize Winning Essay What is democracy? Did you ever stop and think? Oh! everyone knows what democracy is, one will say. Try pinning the man on the street down to a definition, and nine out of ten will hem and haw and get nowhere. As for the others, each will have a different conception. Now, just what is this thing called democracy? The much quoted Webster has this to say, Democracy-1. Government by the people, gov- ernment in which the supreme power is retained by the people and exercised either directly or indirectly. 2. Belief in or practice of social equality. Karl Marx stated, . . . the dictatorship of the proletariat is the only true democracy. Here are two separate and concise definitions for which people have died. If we accept Mr. Webster's first definition, then we may conclude that the United States is a democracy and the U.S.S.R. is not. Proof being that We have political freedom which they do not possess. On the other hand, by taking the second definition offered by Webster and that of Marx, Russia becomes the democracy, and we do not. It does not take an intelligent person to see that Russians have complete social equality whereas we do not. Are we to say that our glorious revolution was not fought for democ- racy? No! Yet did not Russians die in 1917 for their democracy? Already we can see that democracy goes deeper than we ever dreamed. Let's go still deeper into the first definition concerning political equality. Even firm believers in this disagree on the method this form should be con- ducted. Alexander Hamilton firmly believed that a strong central govern- ment was necessary for a true democracy. Thomas J efferson was just as firm in his belief of a loose federation of states. So began our first two political parties, the Federalists supporting Hamilton, and the Democrats behind Jefferson. They both believed that democracy could not be left in the hands of the easily swayed masses. Then about 1826 Andrew Jackson came along with the novel idea of placing the entire government in the hands of the people. Lincoln said that true democracy could not exist half slave and half free, contrary to Pierce and Buchanan. Theodore Roosevelt and his big stick, Bryan his free silver, Wilson his watchful waiting, Harding his program of normalcy, Hoover his chicken in every pot, Frank- lin Roosevelt his New Deal, and a score of others had their ideas. All had their own conception of democracy based on political freedom, at least a dozen deviations from our first definition. Yet, the very fact that they could express their ideas proved that we had the political democracy. 10

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Now we will take up Marx's definition. This was first put into use in Russia. After Lenin's death, two men were prominent. They were Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky. Both believed in social democracy so much that they risked their lives in 1917 to assure it. Again we come to a disagreement on the methods to be used. Their ideas conflicted so much that Russia, as large as it is, was not large enough for both of them. One had to go, and Trotsky did. Sweden has her idea of a socialistic democ- racy, Atlee has his, and Mexico has hers. Here we are, worse off than when we started. First, we had two con- cise and different definitions. Now we have over a score of them and each different. Each of the aforementioned believed in their hearts that their form was democracy. Both nations gave their blood to overthrow a tyran- nical ruler, and both gave their blood that their form of democracy might not fall at the hands of a dictator. You may debate each point separately and you can see the good and bad points of each. The main difference is that the United States is big enough for all the Hamiltons, Jeffersons, Jacksons, Lincolns and Roose- velts put together, while Russia is not big enough for just two men who differ. Through political freedom the people may attain social freedom if they so desire. The recent British elections prove this. There is no way open to attain political freedom through social freedom that is without revolution. The fact is that I, or anyone else, may write something for or against political or social freedom as long as we have the latter freedom. Not even Stalin will concede this possible in Russia. The Communists have stated that it would be silly to let me talk in opposition to the gov- ernment. Therefore, I will stick to Webster and the fact that his first definition is always the one to be preferred. DEFINITION GF DEIVIQCIQACV ' ALICE VAVRA Democracy-do you know what it really is? Demos is Greek for peo- ple and ocracy means government. The people's government, regardless of race or creed, should make for the betterment of living. Democracy is the true feeling of brotherhood, the wonderful satis- faction and happiness which comes to those who look out for one another as well as themselves. Democracy is the sincere desire in everyone to help the downtrodden and make life moreclivable for those made unfortunate by physical or mental handicaps. Democracy is the knowledge that justice prevails and no one will be condemned to death or imprisoned without a fair trial by an impartial jury. CContinued on p. 195 11