Repository: UIHistories Project: Convocation - 1942 Winter-Spring [PAGE 70]

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N 1 111 twent) hvc M .11 s oi mj sci \ i( i in the I niver itj I llli nois, I h.i\« no! been asked to undertake .1 ta I more diffi or more welcome, than the one I shall ti\ to perform this evening Scvt members ol our Facultj are better qualified to 1 plain th< ng Democracy than I am, and they would giv< -1 a mo learned explanation, r ne reason wh) I thank the University for having a < tiv m this «ht ull subject is thai 1 am the first of my family to be born in the I nn I States, My father, then a young Danish sea < aptain, sailed his vessel, in which he owned a half interest, into New York harbor T ninety y rs ago, He became a Captain in the Federal N avy, and < night in the decisive battle of Fort Fisher. In the servi • of his

pt I land, he lost his health, his p r o p e r t y , and (owing to th«

I

pi stration of our mercantile marine after that war) his occupation. Yet never did I hear from him any regret or complaint. In the last talk I h; 1 with him before his death, he said, "MY son, for fifty year 1 have sailed the seven seas. I have lived in all the greal ports of

nearly ll the n a t i o n s of the world. I am glad and p r o u d that I

be me an American citizen. My Commander-in-Chief, Mr. Lincoln. w the best captain of a ship of-state in a big storm that any crew

tin had. My boy, t h e r e is m o r e liberty and m o r e kind fellowship in <untry than a n y w h e r e e l s e — m o r e even than in my own D e n m a r k

nd in that line country England. My hoy, if you ever get a chano to repay what this country has done for me and you, do it as well as

you m and hi) ' W h e n w but he tp ire his UStained by as h a r d as you c a n ! " " M o r e liberty and m o r e fellow he w r o t e " f e l l o w s h i p , " he* spelled it with one " 1 " and no knew' w h a t it m e a n t . My father died penniless, yet I last w o r d s m o r e than great possessions. If I were not m e m o r y of t h e m . I could not a t t e m p t to a n s w e r tin

question:

What is Democracy?"

D e m o c r a c y is an even higher concept than national patriotism. P a t r i o t i s m w a s m a n i f e s t e d recently when J o e Louis, risking his

hampionship, before the battle donated his possible winnings to th< lavy Relief Service He was asked: "Joe, are you doing this for nothing?" He replied, "No, I ain't doin' it for nothin\ I'se doin' it for

ma c o u n t r y ! " W e a p p l a u d that sentiment and action, and h o n o r th< nan w h o feels it, but we c r a v e an even deeper reason for o u r allegian< 1

than nationalism.

What is Democracy? Consult the dictionaries, and you will bt informed that Demo* racy is 'government by the people, government in

Inch the s u p r e m e powei is retained by the people, and e x e r c i s e d b \

,., entationf

fl

delegated authority periodically renewed." "the ml

that

I the m a j o r i t y , the minority being protected against abuses of

ule, !>•• the guarantees of#th<

Bill of Rights," and "everyone beinj 7> <