Pickering College - Voyageur Yearbook (Newmarket, Ontario Canada)

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18 THE VOTAGEUR racy, properly understood, means more than just a political mechanism. Any definition of democracy is inadequate if it merely remains within the bounds of technical politics. It is sometimes understood as the rule of the people. The rule of the people, however, may merely mean the rule of the mob, and this cannot possibly be a satisfactory definition of democracy. There are those who think that democracy is synonymous with universal suffrage and who anticipated that with the extension of the franchise the millenium would arrive. Such a conception, however, is too limited. Democracy is never won. Although it is infinitely perfectible, it is never perfected. The achievement of real democracy means that every gain must be defended and frequently against misguided members of democracy's own communities. An outstanding American scholar has recently defined democracy as a sentfment with respect to the moral equality of man and an aspiration towards a society in which this sentiment will find complete fulfillment. Such a definition is very much in line with that proposed by that great German literary figure who now can Hnd no home in his own country--Thomas Mann, who, in his recent lecture in Toronto, defined democracy as that form of state and society which is, more than any other, inspired by the intellectual and emotional realization of the dignity of man. Something of the same attitude to life was emphasized by Dr. Wallace, Principal of Queen's Uni' versity, who in his Convocation Address this year emphasized the necessity of educated men.and women making a fight in this day for the preservation of freedom. Democracy in this broad sense is based on a conception of the dignity of human life and the necessity that there is for freedom for each individual, free from the shackles and bonds of prejudice, free from narrow thinking and undisciplined emotions, to develop his own best qualities of mind and thereby to make his best contribution to the good of society as a whole. Conf ditions in the world today are challenging this whole attitude to life. We don't object to the new political forms introduced by certain nations in the world today merely because they differ from ours. The real objection is that in many areas of the world today, the human spirit is being crushed, that growth is being denied and that freedom to think, to speak, to utter, is no longer accepted as one of the basic human rights. Democracy implies the rule of law among individuals who are moral equals. In the countries mentioned above the rule of law is being supplanted by the rule of force in all the relationships of man to man. It is high time that we, as British subjects, refasserted our belief in democratic principles. In a world in which these basic rights are being flagrantly trodden down, it is our duty to assert once again the basic dignity that should be the mark of all human life. If our Empire is to continue great in its relationship with other nations, it can only be as we carry these principles, on which our common life within the Empire has been based, into the sphere of international rela- tions. To meet force by force is not a sufficient answer. In spite of the difficulties of the present situation, I am convinced that the British Empire can make its best contribution to the future of mankind on this planet by emphasizing in all its relationships with other political units, the basic truth of the democratic principle. It is, however, easy to satisfy our own feelings and our own emotions by pointing out the wickedness of dictators in far away places. Is it not a

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'THE VOYAGEUR 17 The Destiny of Democracy fThe British tradition in the world tofdayj fSumma1y of an address to the 'Toronto Kiwanis Clubs on Thursday, May 26th, 1938.j Jos. MCCULLEY, Headmaster THIS LUNCHEON is planned in honour of Empire Day, celebrated on the birth' day of Queen Victoria. There is very real reason to reflect why it is that we should still celebrate the birthday of a queen who died almost forty years ago. One is reminded of the school children's jingle, The twentyffourth of May is the .Queens birthday, .If you don't give us a holiday, well all nm away. There are serious reasons why her birthday should be celebrated as Empire Day. It was during her reign that the Empire approached its present form territorially. It was also during her reign that those seeds were sown which have since developed into the unique political structure that we know as the British Commonwealth of Nations. The Confederation of Canada, on july lst, 1867, was but the beginning of that combination of selffgoverning nations related to each other by the strongest possible ties,+those ties which lie deep in our history and tradition. Queen Victoria gave her name to a whole era comprising the latter part of the nineteenth century. In many places the word is used to decribe somef thing that is outworn and outmoded. To use the word Victorian in this way, however, is a sign of ignorance. It was during her reign that the growth of a political democracy in Great Britain came nearer to realization through the extension of the franchise. It was during her reign that people realized the necessity of mass education-if a political democracy is to be a reality it must be founded on an intelligent citizenship. Her reign also was a period of expansion in all phases of life and activity. The boundaries of knowledge were extended further than up till that time man had ever dared to dream. There was granted to all individuals during this period the freedom to explore, to investigate and to carry the banners of light and learning beyond those boundaries where they had rested for years. It was during this era that man began to visualize something of the possibilities for the progress of mankind inherent within himself. Sages and seers, recognizing human potentialities, envisioned something of the possibilities of the ultimate development which he might achieve. The belief in human progress was indeed sometimes too complacent. It was a nineteenth century poet who wrote Gods in his Heaven, all's right with the world. In spite of this tendency, however. the basis of the idea was essentially sound. Man has possibilities within himself for realizing dreams that only a limited few had envisioned prior to this period. It is for this reason that on this Empire Day I have chosen to speak on The Destiny of Democracy. If the Victorian period gave to the world any worth while heritage it is that intangible something which is described by the word democracy It is necessary, however, to point out that demncf

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THE VOYAGE UR 19 fair thing to look closer home and to see even within our own borders those challenges to the democratic way of life that threaten the fundamental bases on which our British and AnglofSaxon civilization have been built? Is it necessary for the preservation of our rights and liberties that private organizaf tions in our own country should be permitted to arm and to drill secretly with a view, apparently, to taking the law into their hands? Is truth so weak a thing that it must be protected by a padlock law? If we permit such activif ties as these to go on in our own country, how can we criticize others and furthermore how can we assert that we have any vital belief in democracy. In this connection, may I point out to this audience the significance of an event that took place in this community a few days ago. I refer to the opening of the new Holy Blossom Synagogue. Representative citizens of our community, including the Governor-General of this Dominion, the LieutenantfGovernor of this Province and the Mayor of this city, all co' operated inthe dedication services during the weekfend. To my mind this occasion was symbolic of some of the finest virtues of our democratic way of life. Although harassed, driven from homes and positions in many other countries of the world, the jews of this city have erected and dedicated to the service of the community one of the noblest architectural edifices that we have in our midst. We must recognize that all people within our midst, be they Jew or Gentile, French or AnglofSaxon, black or white, Protestant or Catholic, have a contribution to make to our common culture. That conf tribution, however, can only be made as long as there remains freedom within our borders. I would also mention as symbolic of the true spirit of democracy, the Canadian Youth Congress which met in Toronto this spring, representing church groups, Y.M.C.A.'s, Y.W.C.A,'s, student groups, workers' groups, farmers' groups, political groups and many others. It provided, for those who have eyes to see, a cross section of young Canada facing its own problems and trying to think them through to an intelligent solution. I do not deny that in the exercise of freedom there will be individuals who will make mistakes, but I do assert that there can be no true expression of the spirit of democracy unless that freedom, even to make mistakes, is preserved. It was at the beginning of the reign of Queen Victoria that our country was harassed by rebellion within our own borders. Few there would be to deny that William Lyon Mackenzie and many of those associated with him made mistakes but at the present minute this Province is erecting a monuf ment in Queen's Park to his memory. It must be because we recognize that in spite of mistakes he contributed something vital to the growth of the demo- cratic spirit in our own country. To my mind an understanding of democracy, not merely as a political mechanism, but as a way of life, is the most vital contribution that the British peoples have made to the development of Western culture. Although chalf lenged by powerful enemies in other countries and equally within our own borders by a variety of forces, we can show our own loyalty to the best that our Empire stands for, by refasserting in all our relationships the fundamental truth of the democratic principle.