Yesterday evening, at the Germania Club, Professor [Reverend] George L. Scherger, known as an excellent orator, delivered the first of a series of lectures in which he will speak about great men and their achievements. The subject of last night's talk, "Thomas Jefferson, the Apostle of Democracy", was treated in his customary scholarly manner. His gift for clear, forceful presentation called forth much enthusiasm among his many listeners, whose loud applause made it clear that they would like to hear Mr. Scherger again as soon as possible.

In a few bold strokes, the speaker drew a picture of the development of American democracy and freedom and stressed the difference between the two concepts.

In this country, the view generally prevails that they are both identical, said Professor Scherger, but this is by no means the case. Democracy is a form of government which strives to secure the independence of the separate states against possible encroachments upon their rights on the part of the federal government. The concept of freedom, on the other hand, has reference to the liberty of action permitted the individual within the state, regardless of the particular nature of the state.

Even in a monarchy, such as Prussia was at the time of Frederick the Great, freedom can be safeguarded, while the democratic form of government is in itself no guarantee that the rights of the individual are not going to be trampled into the dust by the tyranny of the majority.

As a relevant example, Professor Scherger pointed to the religious freedom granted in 1740 by Frederick the Great and cited the words of the great king of the Prussians: "Here everyone may attain salvation in his own 3fashion."

"The Teutons," continued the speaker, "have always valued freedom higher than equality (democracy), but among the French the opposite was always the case. The French have at all times preferred democracy to freedom. But Jefferson believed as much in the ideal of freedom as he did in the ideal of democracy."

Here Professor Scherger raised a warning voice against what was in his opinion an ever-increasing tendency to underestimate the great value of the ideals espoused by Jefferson. The greatest danger with which our democratic from of government is threatened, he said, is the indifference of the individual in the performance of his civic duties. To preserve and keep our high ideals is our sacred duty. Goethe gave expression to this thought with the words: "Freedom, like life itself, is achieved only by those who must fight for it daily."

The speaker then spoke about the full and active life of Jefferson as President, Ambassador to Paris, and author of the Declaration of Independence. He called the latter the most important document in all the history of the world.

Professor Scherger will deliver his next lecture on Tuesday, October 20. His subject will be "Gladstone, England's Great Statesman".