New-York tribune., 1905-01-28

Nr Low has chosen for the Introductory leg
end OF his book an apt quotation from Aristoue:
"As the State was formed TO make life possible
so It exists 10 make life good" Genericaliy ap-
plicable to all worthy governments that is es-
pecialiy applicable to that OF Great Britain.
where for centuries the keynote OF political
progress has been the elevation OF the standard
OF human iife Yet after a careful reading OF
the volume there comes the thought that by
the side Of it another less fitting legend
might have been adopted. comprising the hack
neyed but pregnant reference to the common
sense Of most as the controlling element OF q
benehcent rule. For. though perhaps all unin-
tentionally, the purport OF these luminous and
informing chapters upon the British govern
mental system is TO convince the reader of what
he may long have had an intuition. that
the real foundation OF governance I'm Eng
land is nothing less and nothing more
than the common of the people
Magma Charta, BIZ of Rights. Act of Settle
ment, Reform Bill, Constitution" itself. are
all. in far they are good. mere outgrowths
thereof, and, so far as they are benehcent. are
dependent thereon. The British governmental
system is a curious. illogical, irrelevant, almost
ancoherent. mass Of contradictions. That is the
picture which Mr. Low draws OF it, and which
most other English writers upon the subject
have drawn Yet most students Of political
philosophy are agreed that it is one Of the best
governments that ever existed. The explana-
tion which harmonizes the two views is that the
lump is leavened with the common sense or
most"
II is familiar fact that the United hlngoom
has no constitution in the sense IN which this
and other nations have 1t has no written con-
stitution, but only a mass of customs and prece-
dents and acts of Parliament. Practically, there
IS no restraint upon democracy. In the United
States there are things which the popular cleo
torate cannot do cannot do without a revoiu'
fion-by constitutional amendment or abroga-
tion which it would take years to effect In
Great Britain the electorate can do anything in
a single campaign Here we could not enact q
law impairEng the obligation of contracts. In
England that could be done in hour There
IS court there that can declare an act OF Par
liament unconstitutional Anything is constitu-
iionaI which the representatives OF the people
vote. There is no more flexible system in the
avorld. The French Revolutionary Convention
was not more free from fetters theoretically, it
IS democracy mad. Practically. however. 1t
IS a singularly prudent, conservative system, In
which nothing is done on hasty impulse and in
which the rights of the minority regarded
with scrupulous care. 1t is engine OF tre-
mendous power. and apparently with no brakes
or balance wheel. In fact, il has such con-
trolling devices, Of the most effective kind, and
they found in the practical common sense
which pervades and prevails the whole.
We can in a brief review do little more than
glance at some of tbs salient features Of the
British system. upon which Mr.. Low dwells in
detail, with convincing information and with
untsiling interest OF style The Prime Minister
IS recognized as the real head of the government
Yet he is officer not provided for nor recog-
nized by law. Legally, technically, he does not
exist. He IS seldom mentioned officially by that
title. Mr.. Low recalls just two instances of
such allusion to him. One in the Treaty of
Berlin Of 1878. when Lord Beaconsfeld was de-
Hcribed In the opening sentences as First Lord
Of Her Majesty's Treasury and Prime Minister
OF England" That, Mr.. Low plausibly surmises,
was a concession 10 the unfamiIiartty of for
eigners with the English system. The second
instance was in THE Court Circular twenty
two years later when Lord Salisbury was men
toned, either inadvertently audaciously,
Prime Minister. Theoretically, then, there is
Prime Minister. Practically. there is more
actual and concrete Office in the whole system
A general election in the United Kingdom is
nominally for members Of Parliament In fact.
1t is for Prime Minister. His personality and
his candidacy dominate the campaign as
petely do those Of Presidential candidates
IN America.
Or note the Cabinet, of which the Prime Min
lister is the head. It has legal status,
as committee of the Privy Council. 1t has no
meeting place. II keeps no record or It's QeIlD-
erations and decisions. The individual mem
bers, even, are inhibited from making private
notes or memoranda. Yet its deliberations and
decisions determine the course Of legislation
and administration in the most important affairs
OF state. Its very name reminds that it's
meetings not only private but profoundly
secret. Yet it is the governing body of a free
democracy, in which the utmost publicity is de-
Tnanded. It is a sort Of Venetian Council of
Ten, existing and operating in the England Of
the twentieth century; and with all its medieval
elements its actual operation is in entire har-
mony with the advanced democracy OF which
II is at once the servant and the ruler. 1t is an
anomaly as is the Prime Minister himself but
the animating rule OF common sense makes Il
benehcent.
The government Of England, Mr.. Low reminds
US, is government by amateurs. The subordi-
mates trained professionally, but their
periors. the men at the head OF affairs, not
They born TO rank and power; they are
great landowners; they are eminent in some
non-political professions caIlings, but they
are not trained IN the art of government.
may be called from his estate or his study
70 take supreme charge OF an important depart
ment Of government, Of the details of which he
knows nothing. In year he may be trans
ferred from ii TO some entirely different depart
rent. In each and all he is amateur in both
senses Of the word-lack Of professional train
ing and love OF the work Yet nobody can OBJ
serve the work Of these amateurs without being
impressed by its seriously statesmanlike quality
and by its general success Again we must
seek a explanation of the seeming anomaly in
sne rule OF common sense 1t may be called
business sense. or genius for government, or any
other name, 1t is the application to the work
SO a,frH