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Four Minute Essays By Dr. Frank Crane: 101 total pages.

1. The whole people is wiser than any group or man in it. Its judgment is sound­er, surer. As Lincoln put it, "You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time." Democracy is not a scheme of voting, a plan for securing rulers; it is a spirit. Remember what Mazzini said, that some day a man would arise to whom de­mocracy would be a religion. He would be the Great Man. (I quote from memory, and may be inexact.) Democracy is run for the benefit of 2. 82 FOUR MINUTE ESSAYS the people in it; Autocracy for the benefit of the people upon it. Autocracy is most concerned about Efficiency; Democracy about Welfare. Au­tocracy is eager to build the house; Democ­racy, that the builders be happy. Autocracy is a White Passion; Democ­racy a Red Passion. Autocracy thinks of the State; Democ­racy of the People that compose the State. Autocracy is abstract; Democracy con­crete. The former exalts impersonal aims; the latter aims constantly at men. Autocracy

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