The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-02-10
SOME NEW BOOkS.
A IIIstory of Democracy.

a History Of Democracy.
We have been gricvously disappointed by
the new work Of Sir THOMAS ERsKISE MAY
which he names DenOcrocD ~ Europe. wv. J.
Wddleton.l His earlier book on the constitu-
tional history Of England during the pnst cen
fury. which was by no means conspicuous for
phiosophic insight appears. indeed ludicrous-
ly weak beside Mr.. Bagchot's essay or Mr.. Free
mans lectures But II was a tolcrahy Impair
tial and exhaustive prcscntmcnt of surface
facts ~ their chronological order and obvious
relations and as such 1t was properly enough
assigned TO the function of college text book.
Since the publication Of that work. some fifteen
years have passed. and it was reasonable
TO expect that the larger treatise on which
the author was known to be engaged
would have Mt least the merits Of n cycopadin.
would exhibit in n comprehensive picture the
more decisive and fruitful changes in the thco-
rctcal conception and material embodiment of
democratic government. These modest antici-
pations are not satisfied In the volumes before
tis. Not only are the fundamental definitions
Of the theme ambiguous or unsouhd. but the
whole current Of phenomena Is studied in the
temper of Wing pnmphctrcr rather than Of
candid chroniccr Moreover whole branches
Of his sui jeci. absolutely Vital 10 its intelligent
exposition. are djsrcgardcd BY Sir Thomas
May. To these wide and fatal omissions. which
render the book valuele-s for the mature stu
dent of politics must be added many positive
blunders which will disuuaify 1t even for the
use Of school and college youth. These state
men,s il may BIZ we'll to verify in some detail.
both BECAUSE the author Of" Democracy in Eu-
rope" has a certain reputation. and because
the theme ~ fccbly treated by him is one Of SUI
perlatve interest
We asnrsh the prefncp md iptrpIuptIpp In
vain for definition Of democracy which may
serve ~ clue and tOuchstonc amid the mass Of
phenomena collected in these volumes. We are
10y no means satisfied with the evasve state
ment that very different meanings have at
tachcd 10 tho word at different times. What we
want TO know. III course. is the maximum Of
significance which at any epoch. in theory or In
practice has been racOgniz"d in the term
Having first outlined the ideal which philoso-
piers have contemplated and to which states
men or demagogucs have aimed tn give or
ganic form. II was then competent for the au-
thor to mark the flaws and dangers OF the con-
ccpton. and Ia formulate If he chose. his own
theory OF government. But Sir Thomas May
has no theory. unless the shifts and comprom-
iscs and concessions Of the dcfunct Wing party
can be dgniiicd with the name.
II should be- easy enough to define democracy
Dor those who are willing to accept the logical
cOrollaries of the definition. Who are included
in tho demos and what is the scope 81 their
authority In other words. who ar the deposit
taries Of power. and what is the extent Of lis
application? II is obvious that no po!i,y would
now be accounted demo ratio which imposed
any restriction on tn" franchs" beyond that
sanctioned by manhood suifras'. Even the
soundness Of this restriction il Mt least open To-
argument. and w should expect an English
student to examine the question Of woman's
rights. In view 81 the fact that Women are nj
ready. in their capacity Of rateunyers. allowed
to vote for certain Officers in England. As re-
CARDS large part. however, Of the ground Gov
cred by these volumes. We should not quarrc !
win Sir Thomas Mny IL he would distinctly ac-
cept manhood suffrage rs defining the organ Of
political power. But this he does not do. IL
insists upon calling the Athens Of Pcrcles a
democratic and not an ariStorraiic republic
whereas he himself quotes Borckh'S estimate
that the Who'll" number Of citizens in Attica
amounted only 10 about twenty thousand in
population of half million. This * n sample
OF the word Juggling which DESTROYS tho value
Of this work. We do not need to u, told Whut