THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY
REPORT OF AN ADDRESS BY LORD HALDANE DELIVERED AT A MEETING UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE WORKERS EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION - COVENTRY BRANCH - IN ST. MARY'S HALL, COVENTRY, ON 13 APRIL, 1918
𝕀 HAVE come here to-night to address you on "THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY." The meeting was fixed for some time before the Easter week—the week, ordinarily of peace and of thoughts of a great record which has influenced the world's history for the world's good. We did, not foresee what Easter week, 1918, would bring forth. Perhaps if we had we should have postponed this meeting. But I am glad that this meeting has not been postponed. For it has brought us here to testify our living faith in our cause and our belief in the future of democracy. Democracy is threatened, and you working men have a simple question before you.
"Will you take lying down the aggression of Prussian militarism? Will you consent to and accept humbly such fragments of life and freedom as Prussian militarism chooses to leave you by grace of the Prussian military party?"
Or will you say: "We mean to fight to the last point of resistance; we will back our Army, and will support it with the last man and the last shilling we possess, rather than lie down and ignominously submit to people who seek to triumph in this fashion over us."
Do not let us lose our heads over this matter. Our nation is resolute, I firmly believe. It has made up its mind. We
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