THE MAJORITY MANIA.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9330, 3 February 1896, Page 3

THE MAJORITY MANIA.

TO THE EDITOR OV THE PRK6S. Sin, —I read with much pleasure, your article of Wednesday lost under the above heading. It does not speak much for oar boasted advancement in knowledge., and civilisation -bat we have political organisa-* 1 tions aud political aspirants so loudly voci.ern.iing that the majority should rule without checks, and that euch institutions ! as our Upper Honse ahouM be swept away . aa being opposed to the principles of ' democracy. Where these men get their examples of democratic iuatitutiona from :it would be hard to say. The greatest democratic country in the world [ (America) has more checks against hasty majority rule than so-called Conservative England. But>, .hen, the Constitution of the United States was frame- by ouch men as Adams, Franklin, and Washing* ton, aud it would be idle to compare the statesmanship .of such- men with that of .our own Ba/fiogets, Gledhills and Taylors. To suob men aa these and their followers history teaches [ nothing. I am nob aware of any country > in the world with a constitution co framed ' that the minority, either through electorates differing in opinion or by othei means, have no chance of representation. i Evpu autocrats respect the opinions and interest of reasonable minorities, la oases ' where the principle is temporarily departed i from, there is always civil commotion which invariably ends in a better system being set i up. -.-'■' Carlyle said the population of the world ' was mostly fools. If the sage was right, , tbe agitators for unchecked majority rul«i - are contending that the country &hould hci i ruled by the fools, and it is a question whether this country is not under their rule • now.—Yours, &c, > 1 fiOBDXAZO-W