The Press. THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 1898. IS DEMOCRACY THE COMING GOVERNMENT ?

Press, Volume IV, Issue 10064, 16 June 1898, Page 4

The Press. THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 1898. IS DEMOCRACY THE COMING GOVERNMENT ?

It wa3 Prince Albert who said that representative government was on its trial. He meant no doubt that the people would not in the end put up with a form of government that was ineffective. He had a broad mind, but he had been, trained in a school that doubted whether what we call representative government or democracy—the rule of the people—would succeed. We confess that if it does not succeed the outlook for humanity is poor enough. Several writers have been addressing themselves recently to this question, and it may not be amißS in us who live under a democracy to consider its failings so that its weaknesses may be buttressed. The aim and goal of demooracy is the good government of the people. "We all hope to see a country where the Government is pure in its administration, where justice is maintained, where there is personal liberty of the widest possible kind consistent with the maintenance of the State and ; its civilisation. The Government must also not seek more self-sacrifices—by I taxation or otherwise —than are absoI lutely necessary for its maintenance. The Government must be economical, and it must sacredly guard personal freedom—all must be equal in rights and privileges in the eye of the law. No one must be in any way for his religious and political opinions. All these things must a democracy do. Let it be corrupt, or extravagant, or unjust, or give itself over to the " spoils to the victors " policy, and it is doomed.

Just as the citizens make the democracy so the democracy makes the citizens. If the democracy fails, it is because the citizens fail in their duty. The State is but the individual writ large. We hear of corruption in the United States; why does it exist ? There are corrupt citizens there. We read of the inhumanity and brutality of the Spanish Government; how is this ? Inhumanity and brutality are not foreign to the majority of the Spanish people. A government reflects the majority even in countries where the people have little or no representation. Were there a vigorous public opinion in Spain against inhumanity there would be no Cuban atrocities. A nation is always as well governed as it deserves to be.

The ideal of a democracy is a good government, free, enlightened, pure. Its ideal citizen is an educated, able, just, truthful, moral man. And if such citizens are not produced in a democracy it has failed, and reactionaries, pointing to such failure are ready to condemn democracies and are anxious to change the form of government. The evil is deeper than in a form of government. It is in the people. We may also judge the conscience and patriotism and high aims of a political party by those whom it delights to honour. Who are its leaders? Mr. Croker is the representative of Tammany, in New York, and is, if anything, above the party he leads. If we find a party worshipping as its leader a man of no culture has the party any culture? If we see a party palliating and forgiving its leader when his words and truth are divorced is there any truth jin that party ?', "If the salt has lost its saltness wherewith will ye season it? If its protagonist has no conj science is the party likely to be moved by conscience? So if a party lives and moves and has its being in a corrupt use by its leaders of the powers of office e of making appointments, &c, is the party not corrupt ? It is useless blaming leaders, the party has to be blamed if the leader is not what he should be. And a country may be known from its leaders. If they are untruthful, poor in culture, lacking in reverence for justice, then all these defects are in the people of that country. " Salt is good," but if it has lost its saltness, what then? We think there is need of enforcing these considerations in view of the reactionary proposals bruited abroad that democracy, has failed, that the extension of the suffrage was a mistake, &c, &c. We must face the facts if democracy has failed, and this means that those people in the community who are patriotic, and who have a high ideal of what a democracy should bo, must buckle on their armour to fight the enemies of their country. And who are the enemies of their country ? All those who degrade it by corrupting its Government and who are not living in the highest possible plane of life. We can hardly take up one of the high class magazines without seeing this question of democracy's failure being discussed. It is not a change of the form of government that will save us. There is corruption in the autocracy of Russia as well as in the democracy of the United States, in the Kingdom of Spain, and in the Republic of France. If people live on a low moral plane then government partakes of their life.

The very mention of the words " failure of democracy " should make us struggle to educate the people. There lies in education—not the teaching of the three R's, but in acquainting the people with the history of the past and the punishment that is inflicted on wrong-doing—the only hope of the democracy. Further, just as in nature the highest is only obtained by a perpetual struggle, so in a democracy there must ever be a struggle with the Apollyon of democracy—corruption, ignorance, and injustice—if democracy is in the end to win. W r e have no patience with some who deplore misgovernment, who recall acts of corruption, but who, instead of interfering actively in

politics, shrink from interfering.in case the pitch of party may defile them. The democracy cannot be the coming government if it breeds corruption. Perhaps, if that continues, democracies will have to go into the wilderness of revolution, or anarchy, or despotism, but in the end, if the race is to live, and civilisation be maintained, democracy must have sway. It is the only hope of the world. And we are not doing our duty if we allow its fair name to be sullied in this land of promise by any party, called by whatever name it may be.