AUTOCRACY IN AMERICA.

Taihape Daily Times, 8 November 1918, Page 3

AUTOCRACY IN AMERICA.

Among marvels unmatched is surely the President’s word to Germany that “autocracy must go.” For the President is by way of being in no little degree an autocrat himself America hangs upon his lips, hardly daring to. breathe till he speaks the fateful word. The Americans take autocracy in four-year spells, a new man each time. If unable to last out the four years, they assassinate him and try another. That way went Lincoln, went Garfield, went McKinley. The other day in New York, the President marching in procession, there rushed out at him from the crowd a man—and Avas grabbed by the police. A pistol dropped on to the road. He merely wanted to shake hands with the President,’ ’this adventurer; but the chances are that the police are grabbing him still. Mortality by violence is greater among autocrats of the black coat than among autocrats of thte. jewelled diadem or thfe fepiked helmet. Be it remembered that autocracy is not intrinsically wrong—not necessarily murder, or poison gas, or submarine piracy. The model household is an autocracy, the man rules, or the better, the two as one, in Byron’s phrase, “that moral centaur, man and wife.” It is certain, moreover, that among the populations of this terraqueous globe there are people who need paternal government, in other words autocacy, Conn Q ivably there may be people capable or oetter things who prefer it. If the conquered Hun should be of that mind, there is nothing to be done but take away his gun and leave him. You can’t really democratise him, forcing upon him the blessedness of one man, one vote, etc., etc., if he won’t have it.