POLITICAL RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT. 655 



in the allegation concerning it. Hence as fast as the regime 

 of voluntary cooperation with its appropriate ideas, senti 

 ments, and usages, pervades the whole society as fast as 

 there disappear all those arrangements which in any way 

 trench upon the equal freedom of these or those citizens, 

 party warfare must practically die away. Such differences 

 of opinion only can remain as concern matters of detail and 

 minor questions of administration. Evidently there is 

 approach to such a state in proportion as the graver injus 

 tices descending from the militant type disappear. Evidently, 

 too, one concomitant is that increasing subdivision of parties 

 commonly lamented, which promises to bring about the 

 result that no course can be taken at the dictation of any one 

 moiety in power ; but every course taken, having the assent of 

 the average of parties, will be thereby proved in harmony 

 witli the aggregate will of the community. And clearly, with 

 this breaking up of parties consequent on growing indivi 

 duality of nature, all such party-antagonisms as we now 

 know must cease. 



Concerning local government we may conclude that as 

 centralization is an essential trait of the militant type, de 

 centralization is an essential trait of the industrial type. 

 With that independence which the regime of voluntary 

 cooperation generates, there arises resistance not only to 

 dictation by one man, and to dictation by a class, but even to 

 dictation by a majority, when it restrains individual action 

 in ways not necessary for maintaining harmonious social 

 relations. One result must be that the inhabitants of each 

 locality will object to be controlled by the inhabitants of 

 other localities, in matters of purely local concern. In respect 

 of such laws as equally apply to all individuals, and such 

 laws as affect the inhabitants of each locality in their 

 intercourse with those of other localities, the will of the 

 majority of the community will be recognized as authorita 

 tive ; but in respect of arrangements not affecting the com 

 munity at large, but affecting only the members forming one 



