Democracy in Engla7id. 237 



The report of the annual public debate of Uni- 

 versity College, London, attracted our notice to-day 

 before leaving Kendal. The subject debated was : 

 " That the advance of Democracy in England will 

 tend to strengthen the Foundations of Society." 



Lord Rosebery presided, and it is his speech at the 

 close which possesses political significance as coming 

 from one who wears his rank 



" For the sake of liberal uses 

 And of great things to be done," 



and of whom almost any destiny may be predicted if he 

 hold the true course. He said : 



" As regards government, there seemed to be great 

 advantage in democracy. With an oligarchy the re- 

 sponsibility was too great and the penalty for failure too 

 high. He did not share the asperity manifested by one 

 of the speakers against American institutions, and, hav- 

 ing visited the country on several occasions, he felt the 

 greatest warmth for America and the American people. 

 Persons who elected by free choice a moderate intellect 

 to represent them were better off than those who had a 

 leviathan intellect placed over them against their will, 

 and this free choice the people of the United States 

 possessed. It had been said by the opponents of de- 

 mocracy that the best men in America devoted them- 

 selves to money-getting ; but this was a strong argu- 

 ment in its favor, as showing that democracy was not 



