Socialism and American ideals | Page 4

has been
engaged in just this kind of an undertaking. Also, man is a social
animal as well as an individual being, so social consciousness or social
responsibility consists in the common responsibility of society to see
that each individual gets a "square deal" in the form of equal
opportunity for advancement by self effort.
In fact, the American ideal is to restrain human initiative only to the
extent that is necessary to give equality of opportunity to all, and that
the government should act only on the principle of the greatest good of
the greatest number. Hence Americans believe that Rousseau was right
when he said that the individual gives up a small part of his personal
liberty, or license, in order to receive back full civil liberty, which is
much greater because it has a wider outlook and possibilities and is
guaranteed through the support of society. Furthermore, they believe
that real liberty is freedom of individual action within the law as the
expressed will of the people.
But everything depends upon the fact that the impulse to use this liberty
must come from within, and not be commanded by a government from
without. In the words of the Declaration of Independence, Americans
believe "that all men are ... endowed by their Creator with certain
inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit [not
the gift] of happiness." On this basis alone was this nation founded and
has it prospered.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 2: The Rebuilding of Europe, p. 63.]
[Footnote 3: The World War and Leadership in a Democracy, p. 111.]
[Footnote 4: Law and Politics in the Middle Ages, p. 306.]

II
WHY IT APPEALS TO OUR FOREIGN-BORN POPULATION

It is often remarked that a reading of the names of the members of the
present Socialist party, or of those who advocate Socialism in the
United States to-day, will disclose the fact that most of these names
denote foreign or Continental European, as contrasted with American
or British, origin. This can readily be understood when it is
remembered that the governments of Continental Europe are
theoretically on a different basis and of different origin from those of
the United States and Great Britain or of those countries where the
English Common Law prevails.
Whether in democratic France, Italy, Belgium or Norway, or in
autocratic Germany or Austria-Hungary, the government is considered
as in a sense coming down from above. It is believed, and taught, that
government exists by divine right and that it has per se its own position
and rightful place of domination. That it exists for itself, and not as a
means to an end. But in Great Britain, the United States, and also in the
British self-governing colonies, as compared with this, the whole order
of things is upside down, so to speak. We believe that all governments
arise from the people, that they should derive their just powers from the
consent of the governed, and that they are merely an instrumentality to
help the people to help themselves--to protect them in their inherent,
inborn right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Also the
government should act upon the principle of the greatest good of the
greatest number as a test when there is any conflict between individual
and social rights.
Of course it is now popularly understood that an autocracy like that of
Germany until recently, was built up on the theory of the divine right of
governments and of the princes who administered them. The
constitutions of the German states and especially of the Empire of
Germany, were the gift or gifts of the German princes to the people and
not the expression of the will of the people, as in the United States, or
of the people as represented in Parliament, as in Great Britain. Thus the
King of Prussia, who was also Emperor of Germany, was God's
representative on earth and responsible to God alone for the
administration of his office. He, as well as the various princes in their
respective states, were above all earthly law, were laws unto

themselves, and they and their serving (or servile) officials were to be
obeyed without question. Disobedience to the "princes'" laws was not
only treasonable but sacrilegious as well. This fact goes far to explain
the atrocities committed with the consent of German public opinion.
William the Damned and his bureaucracy were believed to be above all
moral or human law, and from the earthly standpoint were infallible
and irresponsible. Their orders must be obeyed without question.
As already stated, few people realize that while even the European
democracies do not accept the bald theory of the divine right of kings
but believe in the divine right of the people, yet somehow or other these
divine rights