The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-07-19
The PEOPLE AND THEIR Gov
ERNMENT.
BY HENRY LOOMS NELSON.

The author, who has q wide and
intimate knowledge of public affairs,
speaks of our modern democracy, its
shortcomings, and its promises, as fol
lows:
H UNITED STATES AMI H SPIRIT OF
DEMOCRACY.
The United States government is the
n democracy which ar be most
prof5ably studied. The have been re-
publics in the world ever since gov
eminent began, but no republic of the
ancient world possessed such q form of
government as that which we mean
to-day when we speak Of a democracy,
for the oldest republics were ~arlstocra'
cies, and the modern republics OF Eu
rope, with the exception Of France,
have been small and homogeneous
countries. Since the present century
began, the spirit of democracy has
slowly spread until the people have a
voice in the management OF their at-
fairs in every nation in Europe except
in the dominions of Tsar and the Sui
tan. We cannot correctly judge,
therefore, of the evils which are Incl
dental to the democratic form OF gov,
eminent without examining the evils
that bsset our own government.
REFORM BY REVOLUTION AND BY LAW
MAKING.
For more than a century the people
of American and western Europe have
been in a tremendous ferment. Moth
ing like the activity Of these hun
dred years has been known since the
religious awakening and the ccom-
Danying revival of learning in the six
teenth century. The century has been
marked by revolution and progress,
and for the last sixty-fve years by the
development Of a new energy in the
process Of political evolution, or rather
by the Transformation of an old po-
tentiality into a source which has sup
planted ply eical revolution. Sir Hen
ry Names chapter on this force-the
force Of legislation-was designed to
show the crudity Of an idea which
underlies the feverish activity of de-
m~ocracies in enacting laws, the idea
that nature loves change, although in
all non-politic al relations it is clear that
men love to preserve old habits and to
cling to old ideas. l. is true, as he
said, that before the passage Of the re
form bill Of 1882 the English Parlia
ment scarcely ever legislated, for it is
true that it was not until the people
finally succeeded in establishing the
principle that government is for them,
for their happiness, for their liberty,
for their good, that the making Of laws
becomes the most serious business Of
government. Revolution was the
predecessor of the rage for legislation.
,Cnange by violence was essential when
change by law was impossible, or un-
known. Change by violence and by
blood letting is a thing Of only yester-
day. But for US, and perhaps for
western Europe, the day of violent
revolution is done, while the day Ct
peaceful revolution through law max
ing is fully upon US.
THE INFANCY OF DEMOCRATIC INsTITU-
TIONS
We must remember that, measured
by the age of the world, or by the
length of time during which other
forms of government have been tested,
the democratic form of government is
in its infancy. The people have ruled
in this country a little more than a
hundred years, and in England a little
more than sixty years. Taey are
feeling their strength, realizing their
power and their liberty, aud are try
ing their conditions through the en-
actment of laws. If parties and fac.
tions are seeking their own advantage
at the expense Of the general welfare,
If groups OF men who have obtained
possession of the machinery Of gov
ernment undertake to employ it for
their own profit, it the boss fl )urishes,
what are they all doing that diff rs in
any respect from the lesson that kings
and emperors and chiefs Of savage
tribes have been teaching the world
since government was first established
In changing their form of govern
ment men have not changed their
natures, and, for a time at least, we
may expect 20 see those who, for the
moment, possess the opportunity fol
BOW the bad examples of the absolute
rulers of both old and modern times.
have Z LEGISLATIVE BODIES LOST
CHARACTER2
The loss of character by our legisla
tive bodies is illustrated by the condi.
ton of the UnItad States SrnRte