98 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



such he will inevitably be led to " reflect on the nature of the 

 State, the functions of government, the nature and authority 

 of civil obligation." Nor will he stop there. He will proceed 

 to apply the most searching and exact methods of investiga- 

 tion, and draw conclusions. Thus slowly but surely a science 

 of XDohtics is growing up, based on ever-widening knowledge, 

 and marked by logical exactness. 



It is well to remember that the science of politics is not 

 entirely or even mainly a creation of our day. Aristotle 

 was its real founder, and his special service was to separate 

 politics from ethics. Since his time many of the world's fore- 

 most thinkers and teachers have laboured in the same field, 

 amongst them being, in our own country, Hobbes, Locke, 

 Burke, Bentham, the Mills, Herbert Spencer, and several 

 others. Each of these has contributed something definite of 

 his ow^n to the elucidation of the subject, or has helped to 

 correct mistaken notions. Wild speculation there has been, 

 and hasty generalisations ; but these have in many cases been 

 refuted or rectified. The materials for sound political theory 

 are accumulating. It only needs that intelligent use shall be 

 made of these by the statesman and legislator. We may 

 reasonably hope that the diffusion of general knowledge, and 

 acquaintance with the methods and results of science, will 

 gradually dispose men to make political changes with caution, 

 and only on sufficient ground. 



In politics, whether theoretical or practical, problems of 

 the most perplexing nature present themselves, and the dis- 

 cussion of these reveals irreconcilable differences of opinion, 

 and gives rise often to some bitterness of feeling. This is 

 to be expected. Uncertainty as to the goal towards which 

 human society is moving, and doubt as to the right road to 

 take, would alone, even under otherwise favourable circum- 

 stances, raise questions of great difficulty. But the difficulty 

 is vastly increased by the conflicting social ideals and aspira- 

 tions of men and their defective morality. Accordingly, the 

 history of human society is a checquered one. Man has 

 hitherto advanced by blundering. Dearly-bought experience 

 has taught him his errors in the sphere of politics as else- 

 where. We cannot hope that the path of social progress will 

 ever be easy to find or free of difficulties. Politics, therefore, 

 can never be child's play. 



Again, as accounting for the estrangement between citi- 

 zens in regard to matters of State policy, it is to be recog- 

 nised that the effects of political action are very grave and 

 far-reaching, and profoundly concern the community, both col- 

 lectively and individually. It is the duty of every man, there- 

 fore, to be on the alert, aiad to guard that which is essential 

 to his welfare. All legislative proposals should be subjected 



