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Human Rights Higher Than Property Rights President Theodore Roosevelt may 7, 1910 From his address at the Sorbonne, France, April 23, 1910 While not merely acknowledging, but insisting upon, the fact that there must be a basis of material well-being for the individual as for the nation, let us with equal emphasis insist that this material well-being represents nothing but the foundation, and that the foundation, though indispensable, is worthless unless upon it is raised the superstructure of a higher life. That is why I decline to recognize the mere multimillionaire, the man of mere wealth, as an asset of value to any country, and especially as not an asset to my own country. If he has earned or uses his wealth in a way that makes him of real beneWt, of real use—and such is often the case—why, then he does become an asset of worth. But it is the way in which it has been earned or used, and not the mere fact of wealth, that entitles him to the credit. It is a bad thing for a nation to raise and admire a false standard of success; and there can be no falser standard than that set by the deiWcation of material well-being in and for itself. My position as regards the moneyed interests can be put in a few words. In every civilized society property rights must be carefully safeguarded. Ordinarily and in the great majority of cases human rights and property rights are fundamentally and in the long run identical. But when it clearly appears that there is a real conXict between them, human rights must have the upper hand, for property belongs to man and not man to property. —Theodore Roosevelt was the twenty-sixth president of the United States. Still Those Who Prize Freedom Heywood Broun january 8, 1938 Everybody, save his supporters in this country, seems to admit readily enough that Franco is a Fascist. In several authorized interviews, the general himself has made no 301 bones about it. The earlier pretense of Wghting for “liberty” has been dropped, and the opposition to any form of democratic government is now candidly and even proudly proclaimed. The early sham about warring to restore the rights of the Spanish people was always a little thing. It was pretty hard to put that over in the face of the fact that a very large proportion of the “liberator’s” forces were made up of Moorish mercenaries, together with the troops of Hitler and Mussolini. “Our new state is to be a totalitarian instrument at the service of national integrity,” he said. And he explained, “We have abolished implacably the old parliamentary system of multiple political parties.” It is true that when he was asked whether he intended to establish a dictatorship, he replied, “Absolutely not.” But whatever distinction lies in Franco’s mind can be explained by the seventh son of the seventh son of a hair splitter. And the di¤erentiation becomes even more diªcult since the general also stated that the regime he has in mind “will be similar to the regimes of Italy and Spain.” “Spain,” he declared, “has not foolish dreams.” But in spite of the little Caesar’s cynicism the cables still indicate that there are Spaniards who dream of democracy and liberty and resent the e¤ort which is being made to transform their land into a Fascist province of the Duce and the Führer. And that dream has animated the oppressed of the earth from the beginning of time. By what right, then, does any American refer to the valiants who Wght for freedom as Reds and anarchists? If it is anarchical to struggle against alien mercenaries, then George Washington was quite a prominent Red when he fought the Hessians. Of course, it is not the business of the United States to intervene, but we dishonor ourselves and our own tradition as well as the cause of liberty if, as individuals, we refuse to realize the spiritual bond between ourselves and the people of Spain who stand against the tyrant and echo the grand old cry of “Give me liberty or give me death!” And if this be anarchy, make the most of it! —Heywood Broun, journalist and columnist, founded the Newspaper Guild. Against Isolationism William T. Evjue september 30, 1939 This column is written by one who experienced the intolerance, the hatred, and the persecution of the World War. This...

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