The Advocate and news., 1898-06-01

| direct legislation, be better than govern
ment by the best people, whether selected
| by heredity or at stated occasions by the
| people themselVes2 In other words, why
| will a purely democratic government be
better than an aristOcratic government,
whether hereditary, aristOcratlc or repre-
sentative aristOcratic? II is a government
by the best, and surely that must be bet
ter than a government by the average?
There are two reasons.
/. 1t is not a government by the best
Hereditary aristocracies are continually de-
generating and dying out and always have
10 be reinforced from below by a stream
of democratic blood. An hereditary aristO-
cratic system secures culture, training,
beeding-a polishing up OF the material but
the material itself becomes rotten or weak.
representative aristOcracy or selection
Of the best by representation secures alder
men, common councillors, legislators, poll
ticians Are not these very names enough
OF an argument? Its highest product Is the
boss, the man who can weave the cum
ningest nets. who can manipulate other
men. who can iuggle with words to seem
to give and really not to give, who can
best serve corporate influences. That Is
what representative aristocracy pro-
duces. 1t is not a government by the
best. Both forms In time sink below the
average.
2. Even IL a government by the best was
possible, II would not be the best govern
ment for the people. The best, suppos-
ing they could be selected, would be strong
err better trained, they would know better
how to secure an end than the average
people, but they would not know the ends
to be secured as we'll as the people They
would think they knew them better, but
really they'd not know them as well. An
ex-Presldent of the Swiss people has re-
Gently said that while he was in office
the people defeated some things which he
then thought were for their good, and he
then thought they had made mistakes,
but as the years passed and he got a
proper perspective, he round they were
| right every time.
What | or you or some one else hon
estly thinks is best for the community,
may not be best for it, yet can never
believe that after clear statement and
full discussion, what majority of the
people think is best for them, would really
be injurious for them Their decision
might not be a wise one II applied o score
Of years In the past. 1t might not be a
wise one to apply score OF years in the
future. But at the time 1t was decided
II would be a wise one. 1t might not be
q wise one X they were better educated or
more intelligent or II some other condi-
ton were changed. But under the cOndi-
tions at the time It would be wise one.
1t might be reversed by the people very
soon afterward. But then short period
under that law was necessary TO prepare
them to adopt something else. Hence the
best-trained, ablest and best-intentioned
individual or group OF individuals would
often impose Injurious measures on the
whole people because they did not and
could not know all their needs and condi-
tions, but the whole people, when they
have the opportunity to clearly and def
nitely decide, will not impose on them
selves any measures which at that time
and under those conditions Will inJure
themselves.
A democratic government may be un-
certain, slow and tumultuous In It's meth
DDS because Of the lack of experience and
training among the people, but in its
4, uyVu.8r - naa nd " "a al fWnd
will be as sure and certain as the pole
star. An aristocTatic government, whether
hereditary or representative, may be
smoother working In its methods, but its
aim will be Vacilliating and the uncer-
tainty OF aim will In time create q vac
cillation OF methods so that 1t will be-
come both weak and slow, as our hepre-
sentative aristOcracy has become. Ana
the sure knowledge OF needs ana absO-
lutte steadiness OF aim In q purely demo-
cratic government will In time develop
smoothness and certitude in methods.
The reason Is the law OF averages. In
dividuals.. vary, but percentages remain
constant"
A severe critic of democracy has said
that the people display a singularly In
ferior metality, yet there are other acts
in which they appear to be guided by those
mysterious forces which the ancients de-
nominate destiny, nature or providence,
which we call the voices Of the dead, and
whose power 1t Is impossible to overlook,
although we Ignore their essence. IL would
seem, at times, as II there were latent
forces in the inner being Of nations which
serve TO guide them" He is right; there
are inner forces. 1t is explained by this
law Of averages.
The voice Of an individual may seem as
wise Of the stars OF winter night, as pro-
found as the unfathOmed sea, as fresh and
glorious as the summer sunrise on up
land meadows Yet listen to the voice OF
the people, the voice of the race, the voice
nP hn mn
wild clamor OF bigots, the confused clash
Of contending partisans and even by the
words Of good men, yet listen to It and
you will find that in cOnstancy Of good
Intentions 1t Is more serenely sure than the
stars OF the night, In full knowledge Of
needs and conditions 1t Is more profound
than the unfathomable ocean, In the wis
dom which acts, often, without talking,
| 1t guides the destinies OF nations, 1t holds
the to-be in its enfolding care and opens
| 1t on fresher sunrises than this weary
world has seen. Verify, 1t more truly ut
ters the voice Of God than any other known
/ hara ha1OW LEI Ha clear aWAV