New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-06-13
DIR. BRYCE ON DEMOCRACY
Speaks at Commencement of Uni
rersitu of Illinois.

Urbana, Ill, June 12-The commencement exer-
cises at the University of Illinois to-day at
tended by many visitors, among them Ambassador
Bryce. who delivered an address
Mr.. Bryce considered the relation Of history TO
politics and the value Of history TO the citizens
and statesmen. saying there We're two general con-
clusons which public spirited citizens of the United
States who wished to serve their city. state or
country, might draw from the political history Of
other countries. He said:
one IS that 10 one. seeing the faults that belong
70 popular government and the difficulty Of bring
Ing it up to the ideal which the theory Of democ-
racy sets up. need be disleartened; no. not even
GOOD Onions 5asTa History has ,or1f0rt for him
II VIII show that other forms oI goyernmeut-au-
ge ,i5ii yam NAV md NOW, l'i I'm 5'S3' i i.
and high sauled despot who will 30 his best for his
probability, that lie WIN he succeeded by other
and sLiIfl 1i.arI e,rp,IeIt Wien Xii en-
tend the power II the nation In the world. But 1t is
certain 70 govern in ~ own class interests not in
that LED even SO eminent writer ~ the late Sir
pointed out its faults. lie omitted 20 point out
The faults Of other governments. All governments
As the scripture says There is none that d9eth
does less well Than another And the general les
class IS far worse than the government Of The
The other conclusion is that although tho best
worth Hayng for anf striving tSr @e]gonsH my ny
country, there Is another thing even more IN IN
pOTtaQt That fhlnE Is the participation IN Tue
work Of government Of the whole body OF the peu-
pie Leaders-honest, capable courageous mrr-are
necessary, just necessary in democracy as
in other forms of government The people must
seek them out, must honor them, must give. II
their honesty is proved. its confidence. But the
whole people must continue TO watch everything
they do and never surrender its Judgment or its
votes into their hands. IL was said by them OF Old
that eternal vigilance is the price Of freedom It
Is the price Of other things also. II IS the price
of pure government and efficient government No
citizen in free country can escape or decline his
responsibility for the conduct of his govern meUt.
He ought respect the Judgment Of those whom
he knows be wiser than himself. He must avoid
the error Of those "cranks," you call them, who
set the particular question in which they most
Interested above the general lines Of sound nation
al policy. But the history of free governments shows
that when things go wrong IT IS not so often from
errors Of Judgment on the part Of the people as It
Is from excess OF party spirit which has led
them to follow blindly an interruptions leader, or
from indifference ana negligence which has
enabled interruptions and selfish 10 pursue
their advantage at the expense Of the public
good.
The most successful OF all dcmocracies. that Of
Switzerland, has been at that in which the whole
people have most constantly eXerted themselves 70
watch and to take part in the conduct Il their
government. and the result has been to produce IN
the mind OF the Swiss people an Intelligent Compre-
hension of public affairs which It must be hard to
equal elsewhere.