The Soul of Democracy: The Philosophy of the World War in Relation to Human Liberty — John Shaqi
The Soul of Democracy: The Philosophy of the World War in Relation to Human LibertyGriggs, Edward Howard
Philosophy
The Soul of Democracy: The Philosophy of the World War in Relation to Human Liberty
Griggs, Edward Howard
Democracy; World War, 1914-1918 -- Influence
It is widely argued, however, since our aim is peace and a world-court
of justice to settle the disputes among the nations, making general
disarmament possible, should not one great nation, fortunately free from
the quarrels of Europe, occupying the major portion of a continent, its
shores washed by two great oceans, with peaceful friendship on the north
and weak anarchy on the south--should not such a nation take the lead,
disarm and set an example to mankind? It is a beautiful dream! Would
that those who really believe in non-resistance to evil would be
logical, and apply it to internal as well as external policy. What is a
police force? It is a body of men, trained, employed and paid to use
force in resisting evil. If you wish to try out non-resistance, why not
let some city apply it? Let Chicago do it: abolish its police force and
set the example to the rest of the benighted cities of the country.
What would happen? As long as there are criminals in all cities of the
land, how they would flock to that fat pasturage. What devastation of
property, destruction of life, injury to innocent women and children!
Until the best men of Chicago would get together, form a vigilance
committee, shoot some of the criminals, hang others, drive the rest out;
and Chicago would get back to law and order, with courts of justice and
a regular police body, composed of men trained, employed and paid to use
force in resisting evil.
The example of Canada and the United States is cited, and a noble
example it is: three thousand and more miles of international boundary,
with never a shining gun or bristling fortress on the entire frontier.
A glorious example, prophetic of what is coming all over the world,
perhaps more quickly than we dare hope to-day; but what made it
possible? Agreement in advance, and that at a time when one of the
parties was too weak to be feared. Canada is getting strong: she has at
present four hundred thousand trained men at the front or ready to go.
Before the War closes she will have over a half million. Now suppose
Canada fortified: we would be compelled to, there would be no other way.
Thus one nation cannot disarm while the others are strongly armed, and
among them are those whose autocratic rulers and imperialistic castes
are watching for signs of weakness in order to perpetrate international
claim-jumping.
It is true that, on the frontier, in the early days, there were
individuals who went about unarmed among the gun men, did it
successfully, and some of them died peacefully in their beds: Christian
ministers--sky-pilots, they were called. Please note, however, that the
sky-pilot never had any money. He had no claims to be jumped.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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