the conservation movement," proceeded to upset established special privilege, and re-defined democracy in terms of "the square deal for everybody." 116 In taking a stand against autocracy, Roosevelt urged that the United States support unflinchingly the right "whenever the right is menaced by the might which backs wrong.' With this doctrine, Roosevelt coupled a military preparedness interpretation of Americanism. The only way that the United States can oppose successfully the wrong which is urged forward by might, is to put over against it the right that is also supported by might. Instead of putting national safety first, Roosevelt stood for national honor and duty first.' Roosevelt's idea of Americanism as stated in his Knights of Columbus Speech (1915) contains three elements: (1) the establishment of a common language the English-for all Americans; (2) the increase of our national and social loyalty by the development of "a citizenship which acknowledges no flag except the flag of the United States and which emphatically repudiates all duality of intention or national unity"; and (3) "an intelligent and resolute effort for the removal of industrial and social unrest, an effort which shall aim equally at securing every man his rights and to make every man understand that unless he in good faith per At the request of Gifford Pinchot. Fear God and Take Your Ozon Part, p. 55. forms his duties he is not entitled to any rights at all."8 President Woodrow Wilson represents the tenets of Jeffersonian and Jacksonian democracy. His party heritage gave promise that he would advance the cause of democracy. His most ardent admirers, however, did not suspect the degree to which he would go in extending the domain of popular rule. On April 2, 1917, before both Houses of Congress assembled together, he declared that "the world. must be made safe for democracy." Nothing smaller than the world is hereafter to be the laboratory of democracy. "Our globe has shrunk too small for democratic and autocratic states to subsist together, nor can Ocean herself constrain them in separation." President Wilson, reading aright America's mind and speaking in line with America's developing conception of democracy, has bade defiance in his now classic phrase to the strongholds of political autocracy the world around. Monroe is out-Monroed. The conception of democracy that was held by the Pilgrim liberty-seekers was a doctrine applicable primarily to themselves alone. From that mustard seed, the plant has grown until its branches are now to protect all of earth's inhabitants. From democracy for one hundred persons to democracy for the "It was in Roosevelt that H. G. Wells (Future in America, p. 253) found an epitome of America's strong and weak points. The first include (1) force, (2) sustained courage, (3) integrity, and (4) open intelligence; the latter embrace (1) undisciplined hastiness, (2) unfairness, (3) prejudices, and (4) frequent errors. 'H. B. Alexander, "Americanism," New Republic, January 5, 1918, p. 271. seventeen hundred million people of the world— such is the unfolding of the conception of democracy in the minds and hearts of Americans. The entrance of the United States into the European War has given rise to a renaissance of democracy and of the square deal that will shake down not only the thrones of political but of other types of autocracy as well. The analysis of American democracy is proceeding apace; several phases are assuming clear outlines. (1) The best known type is political democracy, which regards political life as possessing two foci: one, the individual; the other, the nation-state. The latter exists to safeguard and to encourage the development of personality. The individual's liberty ends when it conflicts with the welfare of the nationgroup. Political democracy views the nation-state as the totality of legalized relations instituted for the benefit of the citizenry. While it recognizes inherited inequality, it tries to guarantee that inherited equality shall be preserved in all the circumstances of life. In the United States today, there is a conflict between a republican democracy and a democratic democracy. In these terms, there is no special reference to political parties. According to the theory of a republican democracy, individuals who are elected to office are specialists and are expected to vote as their judgment dictates. In a democratic democracy, the elected representatives are expected to represent the judgments of their constituents. The first-mentioned method includes the Aristotelian and aristocratic concept of government by the best few individuals. The other procedure is purely democratic in principle and implies that the average citizen is able to express his independent judgment on all public questions and that he keeps his political representatives informed in regard to his beliefs on legislative questions. One method throws the actual determination of legislation into the hands of a temporarily aristocratic few, who will be tempted to act secretly and autocratically. The other modus operandi puts public decisions into the hands of the common people who may not have the education or the inclination to decide independently and regularly upon public problems, many of which are highly technical. The tendency in the United States is toward a dualistic use of these two forms of political procedure, whereby complex technical questions are left to the specialists, while broad, fundamental issues are referred to the common people for decision. (2) Religious democracy has always been a fundamental principle of American life. It includes the right to worship as one's conscience and judgment dictate without compulsion from others or from the state. One person's religious views have equal standing with those of every other person. Religious groups, however, have often clung to undemocratic beliefs, attitudes, and methods of organization.10 10Cf. L. H. Hough, "The Preacher and the Forces of Democracy," Meth. Review, January-February, 1918. (3) Ethical democracy in our country signifies that there is one right for all men everywhere, and that there is "one ultimate standard of righteousness for all the world." In 1884, Lowell, the foremost American at that time, proclaimed Christ the first true ethical democrat who ever lived.12 The wealthy and the poor, the distinguished and the unknown are tested in America at the bar of public opinion by the same high standards of right and wrong, that is, by the ethical standards set by Christianity. (4) Personal democracy gives adequate opportunity for the development of all the individual and the social phases of personality. It involves an accurate evaluation of all of one's powers and a wellbalanced, consistent expression of them. It is essential to the pursuit of happiness as found in the free self-expression of the socio-rational personality. (5) Intellectual democracy represents the principle that "all men have it in them to respond to the ultimate intellectual meanings of life and that the best of culture should be made the possession of all the people."'13 While it does not deny mental differences, and would not reduce all people to a level, it believes that all the permanently significant ideas can be brought within the reach of all potentially capable individuals. It holds that all individuals should be able to think independently and to make individual judgments upon the leading questions of the day. It declares that all the people "Ibid. "Address at Birmingham, England, October 6, 1884. "L. H. Hough, loc. cit. |