The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-05-01


part Of Mr.. BRYCE 10 refrain from apply
ing the same averment 10 the United
States.
So far as a part Of Continental Europe
Is concerned the assertion is indisputably
true, although an exception must be
made in the case of Russia, where almost
all highly educated men are arrayed on
the liberal side. There is some doubt
also as 10 whether most Of the trained
intellects in France are not still earnest
advocates Of liberal ideas. II was only
the other day, moreover, that in the Cis-
Lothian half Of the Hapsburg dominiOns
the principle Of universal suffrage was
adopted, a fact which indicates that in
Vienna the superior minds cannot be
very firmly arrayed against liberalism,
ever when this is carried to extremes.
In the German Empire, on the other
hand, in Italy and in Spain, the reaction
against democratic ideals is unmistak-
able. In England also from 1886 to 1906
there were evidences Of a like reaction,
and although the Liberals won a tremen-
dOus victory at the last general election
their prospect Of retaining ascendency
in the next House Of Commons ia waning
daily. II the Unionists should return to
power a few years hence, a thing which
many onlOokers expect to see, Mr.. BRYCE
might fairly point to the fact as a o n
frmation Of his thesis.
Assuming that there are some striking
proofs Of a current reaction against
democracy, where shall We look for the
cause? Mr.. BRYCE replies that democ-
racy has not brought with it all that had
been hoped Of it, and so a certain revul-
sion Of feeling against it has set in. Many
of the most powerful minds, he says, are
now occupied in trying not to broaden
and deepen ia channel but TO erect bar
riers that would check or guide its flow.
No doubt a democracy, like all other
human institutions, has its limitations
and its weak points, 1t forbids, for in
a Government to check effectu-
ally so fatal a solvent of civilization az
triumphant socialism would prove, and
il is the use made by the Socialists Of uni
versal suffrage at the elections for the
Reichstag that has caused a majority Of
the highly educated class TO oppose the
extension Of that principle to the cleo
for the Prussian Chamber Of Depu-
ties, 1t is a like apprehension Of the pos
sible result Of Socialist preponderance
the ballot box which makes superior
minds in England prefer to see the House
Of Lords mended rather than ended.
They are beginning TO Feel acutely the
need Of some bulwark Of the existing or
der, such a we possess in u written
Constitutions, Federal and State.
Even on this side Of the Atlantic highly
educated and thoughtful men are be-
to ~sympathize with BURKE's po-
itical philosophy rather than with RoUs-
which was ~JEFFERsoN's, and TO
pay more and more consideration to the
lverment made by ARISTOTLE some 2, 200
years ago, that the tyranny Of a numeri-
'al majority may prove far more OPP
lressive and irremediable than that of
IN autocrat or of an oligarchy. More
over, the most advanced type of democ-
'acy with which ARISTOTLE was cOgni-
ant was the Athenian, which was based
IN a vast substructure Of slave labor.
Il would never have entered his head that
'ane men would propose 10 bestow full
citizenship upon the slave. 1t was UNI
loubtedly the spectacle presented by
,arpetbag government in our Southern
states that converted many a Northern
American who during the civil war had
,een a radical into a conservative.