6o6 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



A PEOGEAM OF EADICAL DEMOCEACY 



By J. McKEEN CATTELL 



THEEE is advance towards radical democracy in every nation. In 

 the United States the two political parties have made some prog- 

 ress in recent years in answer to the demands of the people; but this 

 slow and halting movement, falling behind that of Great Britain, 

 should be hastened, either by the formation of a new political party or 

 of a radical section within one of the existing parties. The socialist 

 party might serve as a center of union, if questions concerning the pro- 

 duction of wealth and the limitation of individualism can be subordi- 

 nated to social welfare. The best solution, however, of the existing 

 political situation would probably be the maintenance of the two his- 

 toric parties, the republican party being frankly devoted to rule by the 

 privileged classes under the leadership of men such as Mr. Eoosevelt, 

 Mr. Taft and Mr. Hughes; the democratic party to control by the 

 people with as little individual domination as may be. Twenty reforms 

 in the direction of radical democracy are here indicated. Some of them 

 may appear to be utopian and 'doctrinaire, but there is not one of them 

 toward which progress has not been made in recent years, not one of 

 them toward which further progress will not be made in the near fu- 

 ture. 



1. Universal suffrage, the votes of children being cast hy their 

 parents. The bearing and the rearing of children are so much more 

 important than any other work that the right to vote is in comparison 

 insignificant; but voting would in no way disqualify women for their 

 greater service, and this surely should not disqualify them from voting. 

 Women have long been goddesses, queens, prostitutes and slaves; it is 

 clearly time that they should have exactly the same political, legal and 

 economic rights as men. Women are on the whole more sympathetic, 

 patient, personal, emotional, illogical than men. These traits would 

 probably improve political conditions; but this is almost irrelevant. 

 Universal suffrage is simply the presupposition of democracy. Chil- 

 dren are also human beings, and their votes should be cast by their 

 parents. This would give the correct distribution of political power 

 and the basis for a complete political democracy. The substitution of 

 the rights of children for the privileges of property is the greatest ad- 

 vance that can be made by society. The woman or man who has chil- 

 dren is that much more of a woman or man and should vote accord- 

 ingly. 



