The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-04-29
THE ENGLISH DEMOCRACY.

There is n tendency among intelligent OBJ
servers in America both TO exaggerate and 10
underestimate the growth of the democratic
feeling in England There are some who are
disposed TO think that it IS now only ques-
ton of a few years for the throne with Its
great supports. the House OF Lords and the Is
tablished Church, to sink down into irretriev-
able ruin, leaving as the outcome system OF
government modelled on that of the United
States There are others who believe IN the
light of the profound sympathy and affection
shown for the family of the Prince of Wales
in their recent bereavement that the mon
archical principle is SO deeply rooted III the
hearts Of the English people as mass, in
spite Of the wild declarations of radical
agitators. that it is likely to survive for
practically indefinite time.
Rejecting all extreme expressions of
opinion. il is impossible to overlook the many
significant indications that point to thefurther
expansion of democratic feeling in England.
We cannot in this age predict with an APP
proMmate degree of certainty how far this
feeling will go. but its ultimate result. which
is the complete supremacy Of democracy,
would seem to be almost inevitable. AS might
have been anticipated from the conservative
character of the English people of all classes.
the change now In progress ID
very slow in its process. The evil
dences of the modification Of popular
sentiment are as much to be looked for in the
alteration of the social life of England is in
the most important acts of recent legislation
If the most trustworthy accounts which we
receive of London society. the representative
society Of England. be correct then the spirit
of that society as exhibited in a thousand
significant ways is essentially different from
whatit was sixty years ago. 1t was then con-
trolled by the ancient arstOcracy of the
kingdom, who practically excluded from it all
but the members of their own privileged
order. To-day the leaders of London society
are families who have secured an entrance by
their willingness TO expend their enormous in-
comes on the most extravaganza scale.
Wealth is the key which opens the door to
the favored circle and not an honorable line
age Essentially, London society does not
differ from New York society. In consequence
of the expansion in the ideas of luxury and
comfort the cohesive principle in both socie-
ties is substantially the same. Necessarily.
wealth is the test of social superiority III all
of the modern democracies and the rapidly
increasing disposition IN England to adopt
this standard in its social life is one OF the
most striking indications of the decline in the
strength of the aristocratic principle in that
country.
The course eff legislation in Parliament in
the course of the last twenty years has been
equally significant OF the change Of feeling.
Sixty years ago solemn debate in the House
of Commons on the question of whether the
right of suffrage should be extended 10
women would have been simply an indication
that the members Of that body had become
demented. Now it is regarded as natural and
appropriate. The members of the admins
tration and the opposition participate IN it
without thought that they are engaged in
discussing measure which is wholly incon-
sistent with the general system of the Eng
lish Government as it has been handed down
from the past
When the great Reform bill of 1892 was
brought in. and after a contest of unexampled
bitterness passed. the Duke Of Wellington
and men of his stamp who had sought to de-
feat it SAW in il the death warrant of aristo-
cratic privilege in England under the special
protection of law. Their forebodings have
been shown to have been entirely just from
that point of view. Hardly a decade has
elapsed since the first Reform bill became
law that a mixed measure enlarging the suf-
frage has not been placed on the statute-book
of England. Every measure OF this kind has
only increased the power of the people. until
now but a single step remains to be taken To
establish manhood suffrage.
When this contamination is reached Eng
land will be as pure democracy as the
United States The survival Of the aristo-
cratic principle will then depend upon the
conservative spirit Of the average British
voter. The revolution which began in 1882
will not stop in its course until the people of
England are in absolute control Of its affairs,
but it does not follow necessarily that pop
ular government among people like the
English-the wsest. greatest aud most re-
spectacle in the worlds not perfectly con
sistent with the indefinite retention of the
monarchical principle III its present form.
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Pittsylvania County and DanviIIe.