DESPOTISM OR DEMOCRACY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 138, 12 June 1911, Page 7

DESPOTISM OR DEMOCRACY.

Professor T. W. Mills addressed a large gathering in the Opera House for nearly two hours yesterday afternoon upon "Despotism or Democracy." At the end of the address there were loud cries of "Go on," and upon resuming his seat wild cheering testified to the enjoyment of the lecture. He defined true government being by the whole of those concerned for the benefit of all. The struggle 'between Despotism and Democracy was of long standing. They must have some form of government for the management of the things in which they ell were coUectiveiy (concerned. Only three forms of government could be possible—by unanimous agreement, by a minority, or by the majority. No proposition had ever been made 'but what someone would kick against, therefore ithey could not 'have government by unanimous agreement, neither could it •be done by a minority unless they held special privileges of some sort. It was impossible to give a special privilege to any man without someone else suffering the loss of that privilege. Those Who enjoyed special privileges used them to the advantage of those specially privileged. That made the government the instrument for perpetraiting what it was meant to abolish or prevent. Thus they only had majority government as practicable. He knew majorities did not always vote right. Any candidate at last election would admit that, but still majority rule did not mean perpetuating one set of individuals in power. Education, agitation, and organisation would soon make a minority into a majority if 'they were in the right. The world's progress had been undertaken by minorities, but it was only accomplished by those minorities being converted into majorities. Government by agreement was an absurdity, by minority a political crime, and by a majority was liable to make mistakes. They only asked for forms under which mistakes could soonest be altered. They must therefore accept majority rule as ■the most practical proposal. He also held that whenever society thought a child fit to work it should vote, because h_ considered no child should work until he was fit to vote. He did not see why anyone should vote upon matters which did not concern them. He did not believe in people voting about things they knew nothing about. Even a family must have a government of some kind There could be no associated activity without some sort of government. All human progress had been in the direction of from despotism to democracy. Tha conflict was still 'between those two forces. Most countries had two governments. In the United States they had» a democratic government sitting in Washington, and a despotic government ruling from Wall-street. The industrial despotism controlled everything. Ha wanted the industrial democracy organised to expel the industrial despotism. Under democracy every group must have its chief man, but he must be elected by those below, and right tip to the top. Democracy ruled by election from the bottom up, and those above were not master of those below. They were only joint masters of the things that jointly concerned them. Under democracy the relationship of master and servants would be altered. Jesus of Nazareth said, "Call no man 'Master,'" also, "Whosoever would be great, let him be the servant of all." A man once said to him, "Yon want to have Heaven on earth." He replied by asking if the man had lived bo long in an industrial hell on earth, until he was afraid of starting a heaven on earth. Mr. Mills concluded by asking all present to pledge themselves to aid to bring about the triumph of Democracy. |