Bates. — On Democracy . 103 



and generous education, the highest type of man. Aristotle 

 also says, " The State was founded to protect life : it con- 

 tinues to improve it." In the words of Herbert Spencer, 

 " complete life in the associated state " is the end of the 

 social organism which we call " the State." 



The account given not long ago of what the Glasgow City 

 Council had done and intended to do for the benefit of the 

 citizens of that important town shows that the spirit of the 

 old Greek democracy still lives in the Aryan race. Indeed, 

 what we see done in our midst for the improvement of civic 

 life — the recreation - grounds, parks, library, art gallery, 

 museum, and the like set tipart for public use — the splendid 

 benefactions of public-spirited citizens — are all an acknowledg- 

 ment that the city is more than a mere dwelling-place, that 

 we are all under an obligation to do what we can for the 

 culture of men. 



There are signs, however, not a few that men intend to 

 use increasingly the larger powers of the State for tlie same 

 end. It is considered by multitudes part of the proper busi- 

 ness of the State to abolish abuses and grievances, and to 

 promote the greatest happiness of the greatest number by 

 direct legislation. That was the doctrine of Bentham, and it 

 has taken hold of the minds of millions. It has become an 

 article of belief that "the State has no excuse for being back- 

 ward in w-ell-doing." 



We come now to that form of government which, after 

 ages of struggle, has established itself in all the leading States 

 of the world. Democracy is in possession of the field. The 

 fact has been heralded in some such fashion as this : "The 

 rule of the many seems now to be regarded as the final and 

 inevitable form of government for all the civilised commu- 

 nities of men : that is held for a fact which may either be 

 eagerly embraced or sullenly accepted. The few misgoverned 

 because it was their interest to do so ; the many will govern 

 well because it will be their obvious gain." Whether these 

 high hopes and confident predictions will be fulfilled the future 

 will show. It will most probably be in the future as in the 

 past, that the course of human progress will not be without 

 lets and hindrances, disappointments and failures. It is 

 easy and pleasant to cherish rosy imaginations, but an "un- 

 reined" democracy will unquestionably have its own peculiar 

 difficulties. 



The word " democracy " comes to us from the Greeks, and 

 was used by Greek political writers with great exactness. But 

 in the modern usage of the word a vulgarism has crept in which 

 is wholly inexcusable. It is used sometimes to express a class 

 of society with some connotation of opprobi'ium. In strict 

 propriety it denotes a form of government in which all the 



