The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1895-01-12
ENGLISH DEMOCRACY,

The growth of democracy in Eng
land has been wonderful IN the last
few years, and. although the govern
ment is still monarchical and sristo-
cratic as far as the queen and the house
of lords are concerned, the democratic
element is the controlling power. A
pure democracy is weak and vaclll-
ating, and the trainers of our own
constitution understood this when they
drafted the instrument which controls
legislation in this country and is the
palladium of individual rights of eitI-
zens. 1t may be fact that it will be
a long while before tho house of lords
will be abolished in England and
hereditary monarchy will not continue
robe respected, yet there are reforms be-
ing inaugurated In that country which
will put our republic to the blush. In
the old world ali reforms are made on
the principle of the paternslism of
government; but on this side of the
Atlantic inovations must be made by
the sovereign people in their individual
and collective capacity. The movement
must begin in the community, and pa
thence must be exercised until it be-
comes general and effects legislation.
In England, where parliament is
sovereign, this is the place where re-
TO, ms must be lnaugurated, and from
this source it mnst branch out until it
permeates every part and parcel Of the
commonwealth.
The facts in relation to the power
now being welded by democrats in
Great Britain is brought forcibly to
mind by the visit of Mr.. John Burns
to this country. He is democrats,
in the full meaning Of the term, and is
a member of the British parliament.
Perhaps. 1t is not saying too much to
state he has done more to ameliorate
poorer classes of England than any
man now living. In the Lendon
county council he has done more to
elevate wage earners than has ever
been credited to any living man. He
was IL the lead of the great "long-
shoreman's strike" some years since,
and has been imprisoned for riosous
conduct; but he has hold on
the laboring classes of the British
empire that the lords and peers of the
nation have been forced to acknowl-
edge. In his district in London he
has been the means of instituting y
free polytechnic institute, free librar-
les and other accessories which tend
to elevate the poor and unfortunate.
The contract system has been abolish
ed, and all work Is done with an idea
to the greatest economy and to fur
nish labor to the deserving classes in
the winter season when necessities are
most urgent. Mr.. Burns is far in adj
vance of many OF our citizens regard
ing the elevation of the laboring man
and he has the courage to deal his
blows at the most vulnerable points
of the great British empire. He is a
man of the people who has served his
apprenticeship at the trade of an en-
gineer, has educated himself by burn
ing midnight oil, and enters the con-
fiict with full knowledge of those
with whom he has to combat, and
with inherent strength to continue
the contest to the bitter end.
We are pleased to see this growth
of democracy in our mother country,
and hope it may continue until En-
glishmen can stand boldly forth as
free men, without any shoadow of
hereditary monarchy or titled nobility
obstructing their path to absolute
freedom. Americans must arouse
themselves to action, or the monarchy |
of England, which has excited for |
nearly thousand years, will grant
greater freedom to subjects than the
boasted republic of the Western hemis
phere, which was ushered into being |
by the efforts of such master minds as |
Washington, Hamilton, Jefferson and
Adams.